New Delhi, August 19 (HS) : The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended interim protection from arrest to cartoonist Hemant Malviya, who is facing charges over allegedly objectionable cartoons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS workers shared on social media. The relief will remain in force until further orders.

The bench, headed by Justice Aravind Kumar, directed Malviya to publish a written apology on social media within ten days. During the hearing, Malviya’s counsel assured the court that his client was willing to upload the apology publicly.

Appearing for the Madhya Pradesh government, ASG K.M. Nataraj objected to the deletion of the original post, insisting it must stay online as the investigation remains ongoing.

Malviya had approached the Supreme Court challenging a July 3 ruling of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which had dismissed his anticipatory bail plea, calling his act a “gross misuse of the right to free speech.” At the time, the High Court also noted that earlier Supreme Court precedents — Arnesh Kumar and Imran Pratapgarhi — would not apply in this case.

Defending Malviya, senior advocate Vrinda Grover argued that the cartoons in question were drawn during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021 and fell within the bounds of creative expression. Nonetheless, the High Court, while declining bail, remarked that the offense carried up to three years’ imprisonment under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The case stems from an FIR lodged at Lasudia Police Station, Indore, by RSS member and advocate Vinay Joshi, accusing the cartoonist of hurting Hindu sentiments and attempting to disturb communal harmony.

With the apex court’s latest order, Malviya remains shielded from immediate arrest but stands obligated to tender a public apology within the mandated timeframe.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar