Relief for Mdhabi, Tripura HC grants interim bail in two cases

Content creator Madhabi Biswas who had been arrested for making objectionable and obscene posts on social media platforms was granted interim bail from Tripura High Court on Wednesday. 

The bench of Justice S Datta Purakayastha granted her bail in two cases filed against her. However, she has to still remain in judicial custody since another bail application is pending with the High Court. The hearing on the third bail application is slated to be held on January 09, advocate Puroshottam Roy Barman said.

“There are altogether three cases against her. In two of them, the High Court granted her bail. In the third case, a hearing is scheduled to be held the day after tomorrow,” said Roy Barman. She had been under judicial custody for almost two months. She was arrested at the fag end of October last year after a number of short video clips popularly called ‘reel’ content gained traction on social media platforms.

Her controversial commentary on several political functionaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha drew criticism. Several social media users described her “language” and “gestures” full of obscenity and vulgarity.

Peeved at her content, one Rimpi Das of Agartala lodged an FIR with West Agartala Police station. She specifically mentioned one of Biswas’s videos released ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that it “shocked her conscience”. Tripura Police invoked section 353 and 356 of the BNS for statements conducing to public mischief and criminal defamation. She was also implicated under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act 2000.

According to sources, the police had already submitted its charge-sheet in connection with the investigation and a prayer of custodial trial was also made at the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate.   

Government Advocate Raju Datta represented the government during the hearing.