Telangana High Court directs no coercive action against Congress workers in Amit Shah fake video case

The Telangana High Court recently directed that no coercive action be taken against Congress workers in a matter involving a fake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Justice B Vijaysen Reddy ordered both the state and Delhi police to refrain from taking any coercive steps against the Congress workers. The court directed the state and Delhi Police not to take any coercive steps pursuant to notices under Sections 911160 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1973 bearing No.177 R/ACP/IFSO (Team a)/Spl Cell New Delhi, Notice No.’|78 R/I,CP/IFSO (Team 4)/Spl Cell New Delhi, Notice No.179 R/ACP/IFSO (Team )/Spl Cell New Delhi, Notice No.180 R/ACP/IFSO (Team a)/Spl Cell New Delhi dated 211.04.2024 until further orders.

The court further clarified that the present order shall not come in the way of the state in investigating the matter, the Court added. It also directed the Commissioner of Police of Hyderabad, the principal secretary (Home), and others to submit their responses to the plea by Congress workers.

The petition was lodged by Congress workers Manne Sathish, Asma Tasleem, Ambala Shiva Kumar, Pettam Naveen, Koya Geetha, and Pendyala Vamshi Krishna against a case registered against them by the Delhi police based on a complaint filed by one Shinku Sharan Singh. The petitioners are accused of sharing a manipulated video clip of Home Minister Amit Shah on social media.

The complaint mentioned that the manipulation and dissemination of a video featuring Amit Shah, purportedly suggesting that reservations for Scheduled Castes/ Schedule Tribes (SC/STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) would be abolished if the BJP remains in power at the Centre.

Earlier on May 3, the Hyderabad Police arrested several members from the Telangana Congress party in connection with the case. Reportedly, the accused were presented before a local court which granted them bail under the condition that each individual must provide two sureties worth Rs 10,000 each and must appear before the investigating officer every Monday and Friday until further notice.