Seven months following the Tamil Nadu police booking Manish Kashyap under the National Security Act (NSA), a Madurai court has decided to lift the charges imposed on the journalist under this stringent law.
According to a report by News 18 Bihar, the court conducted the final hearing in the case related to Manish Kashyap’s arrest concerning the ‘fake migrant crisis video.’ The report indicates that the Madurai court revoked the NSA charges, although the investigation in the case will persist under other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Reportedly, the journalist had contested his arrest before the court and has subsequently been granted bail.
Manish Kashyap is presently incarcerated at Beur jail in Patna, and his release seems unlikely. The Economic Offence Unit (EOU) of the Bihar police has filed three cases against him, accusing him of financial misconduct. As of now, he has not been granted bail in these cases.
On April 6 of this year, Manish Kashyap faced the imposition of the strict National Security Act (NSA). A specialized team from the Tamil Nadu police apprehended Kashyap in Bihar and, following the registration of a case against him by the Madurai Crime Branch police, brought him to Tamil Nadu on transit remand.
Kashyap, who was taken into custody in connection with the ‘fake videos’ depicting attacks on migrant workers from the state in Tamil Nadu, presented himself before the Madurai district court on November 8. Subsequently, he was remanded to judicial custody for a period of 15 days.
Madurai district court sends Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap to judicial custody till April 19,
Manish was arrested for posting fake videos of migrant labourers from Bihar “being attacked” in Tamil Nadu.
— ANI (@ANI) April 5, 2023
“Manish Kashyap, the individual responsible for disseminating false videos depicting attacks on Bihari migrant laborers in Tamil Nadu, has been apprehended under the National Security Act,” stated Madurai Superintendent of Police Shiva Prasad, as reported by a media outlet.
