Sameet Thakkar granted bail by magistrate court after 21 days in custody over his tweets

On Monday, Nagpur resident Sameet Thakkar has been granted bail by a magistrate court in Mumbai. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court refused to entertain an Article 32 petition filed on behalf of Sameet Thakkar for transfer and consolidation of investigation in FIRs filed against his tweets, and asked him to appeal in the High Court. Thakkar was arrested by Mumbai's BKC cyber police, for allegedly objectionable tweets against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and minister Aaditya, as per reports. 

READ | Sameet Thakkar's brother meets Maha Guv after he was arrested a 3rd time over tweets

Thakkar sent to 6-day police custody

After being arrested by Mumbai's VP Road police in the same case, he was sent to 6-day police custody by a Mumbai court. Thakkar was arrested by the Mumbai police on October 24 and then re-arrested after he got bail in the case lodged over the objectionable tweets. Reports state that Thakkar's most recent arrest was based on a complaint by Dharmendra Mishra, a lawyer attached with Shiv Sena. Thakkar's brother Rishi Thakkar had met Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari seeking his intervention.

READ | Nagpur court extends police custody of Sameet Thakkar till Nov 2 for tweets on Thackerays

Thakkar brought to court 'bound'

In a shocking visual, Thakkar was brought to court bound; with a black cloth covering his face. This shocked netizens, including BJP MP Varun Gandhi who asked 'Is he a danger to the nation?', terming it 'against tenet of humanity'. Thakkar's brother - Rishi opined, "It's human rights' violation by police as my brother's hands were tied & face was covered with black cloth when he was brought to court today. They treating him the way hardcore terrorist is treated".

READ | Sameet Thakkar sent to 6 days police custody for his tweets against Thackerays

READ | 'He's being treated as a hard-core terrorist in custody,' alleges Sameet Thakkar's brother