UP Professor Jailed For Objectionable Social Media Post Against Union Minister Smriti Irani

Firozabad: A professor identified as Shaharyar Ali was sent to jail after he surrendered in a court in Uttar Pradesh’s Firozabad for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Union Minister Smriti Irani in a social media post. 

Professor Shaharyar Ali surrendered to Additional Sessions Judge Anurag Kumar and filed an interim bail application on Tuesday. The judge later cancelled the bail plea and the professor was sent to jail. 

ALSO READ | Delhi Police Allow Farmers To Protest At Jantar Mantar On Thursday, 200 Agitators To Arrive In Buses

Earlier this year, Shaharyar Ali, head of the History department at SRK College, was issued suspension notice from college for an alleged obscene Facebook post against the Women and Child Development Minister, reported news agency Press Trust of India.

The Supreme Court earlier this month, Supreme Court refused to grant protection to Shaharyar Ali from arrest. While rejecting his application, the two-judge bench of the top court comprising of justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Hemant Gupta said that social media could not be used to defame others.

The court further observed that people must be careful of the language they use while critiquing, criticising or mocking other people on social media platforms.

Allahabad High Court had too rejected the anticipatory bail plea filed by the professor in May. Refusing to grant Ali protection from arrest, Justice JJ Munir said there was no material on record to show that the professor’s account was hacked.

(With inputs from news agency PTI)