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A Delhi court on Tuesday, granted bail to freelance journalist Mandeep Punia, who had been arrested by Delhi Police at the Singhu border on Saturday.
Delhi Police charged him under sections 186 (obstructing any public servant while discharging public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code.
He was remanded to 14 days judicial custody Sunday, after which he applied for bail.
His bail application had pointed out that another journalist arrested along with Punia was released soon after, but the latter was still under custody because he wasn’t carrying a press card.
Granting bail to Punia on a bond of ₹25,000, the order stated: "It is pertinent to mention here that the alleged scuffle incident of present case is of around 6.30 pm. However, the present FIR was registered at around 1.21 am on the next day. Moreover, the complainant, victims and witnesses are police personnel only. Hence, there is no possibility that accused/applicant can…influence any of the police officials."
“It is well settled legal principle of law that ‘bail is a rule and jail is an exception’,” the court said.
The Editors Guild of India had demanded his release and called on the police to let journalists report without any fear. Meanwhile, journalists in Delhi staged a protest against his arrest on Sunday.
Source: theprint.in, indianexpress.com, scroll.in
Written by Siddhant Sharma
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