In a packed courtroom on Saturday morning, the Patna High Court granted anticipatory bail to YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who had been facing serious allegations of spreading a video that hinted at possible sabotage on a railway track. The hearing, though short, carried a certain tense energy-understandable, given the nature of the accusations and the public attention around the case.
Background
The controversy began after a video surfaced on social media, showing stones placed between fish-plates on a railway track. Kashyap shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter) with a tag to the Ministry of Railways. The FIR, however, accused him of using the video to “tarnish the image” of Indian Railways and potentially trigger unnecessary panic.
Police booked him under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, as well as provisions of the IT Act, alleging that such content could incite sabotage or mislead the public. Kashyap’s counsel countered this strongly, stating that the clip was simply forwarded to him and that he uploaded it without edits. “If he wanted to spread rumours, why would he tag the ministry directly? He would have gone to his massive Facebook audience,” the lawyer argued, earning a brief nod from a few in the gallery.
Court’s Observations
Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha appeared to focus heavily on the intent behind the upload. The bench noted that the video had not been tampered with and that Kashyap had shared it exactly as he received it. “The bench observed, ‘Posting the video in its original form and tagging the Ministry indicates an intent to inform, not mislead,’” a line that seemed to soften the courtroom atmosphere.
The judge also appeared unconvinced that the FIR established any concrete criminal intention. Kashyap’s claim of exercising his freedom of speech under Article 19, while not an absolute defence, seemed to carry weight during the arguments. The State, represented by APP Rita Verma, did oppose the plea, but the bench leaned toward caution rather than punishment.
Decision
After considering the submissions, the High Court granted anticipatory bail to Manish Kashyap. The order states that if he is arrested or surrenders within four weeks, he must be released upon furnishing a bond of ₹10,000 and two sureties of the same amount.
Advocate Devashish Giri represented Kashyap in the matter. The hearing wrapped up quickly after the pronouncement, with the judge making it clear that this relief is limited to the conditions of the bail and does not express any finding on the merits of the allegations.
Case Title: Tirpurari Kumar Tiwari @ Manish Kashyap vs. State of Bihar
Court: Patna High Court
Judge: Justice Chandra Shekhar Jha
Matter: Anticipatory Bail Application
