The Madras High Court has granted bail to YouTuber Anash Ahamed, who was arrested in early September by Coimbatore police for allegedly posting a video that encouraged viewers to wear hijabs and share their experiences. Ahamed’s arrest was justified by authorities as necessary to prevent disruptions to public peace and maintain communal harmony.
Justice P. Dhanbal, overseeing the bail hearing, noted in the order dated October 30 that Ahamed had been detained for over 50 days and lacked any criminal history. The court weighed these factors along with the nature of the offense to conclude that bail was appropriate. “Considering the representation made on both sides, nature of the offense, and the absence of prior criminal behavior, the court is inclined to grant bail,” stated Justice Dhanbal. Ahamed is required to post a Rs 10,000 bond and report daily to his local police station for the next month as conditions of his bail.
The charges against Ahamed included multiple provisions under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, specifically citing Sections 352 (intentional insult to disrupt public peace) and 353 (statements causing public mischief) of the BNS, along with Section 66(f) of the IT Act, which pertains to cyber terrorism.
Prosecutors argued that Ahamed’s video had the potential to “cause disturbance to public peace” and “promote enmity between two religions,” thereby posing a serious threat to public order. However, Ahamed’s defense countered that he was “falsely implicated” and that the video was not intended to incite discord or unrest between communities.
