Mamata: SC grants bail to BJP activist, asks her to apologise

The Supreme Court Tuesday granted bail to a BJP activist arrested for allegedly posting a morphed image of Mamata Banerjee on social media and asked her to apologise, while observing that freedom of speech ends when it infringes upon others' rights.

A vacation bench comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna said Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, will apologise in writing upon her release from jail for allegedly posting the morphed picture of the West Bengal chief minister.

During the hearing, the bench observed that though freedom of speech is non-negotiable but "your freedom of speech ends when it infringes upon others' rights".

The bench observed that since Sharma is a member of a political party, the insinuation of posting such a picture will be different from those shared by common people.

Sharma was arrested on May 10 by the West Bengal Police under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC and under other provisions of the Information Technology Act on the complaint of a local Trinamool Congress leader Vibhas Hazra.