Jabalpur, Oct 17 : The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to a man accused of shouting pro-Pakistan slogans, with a unique condition: he must salute the national flag at a Bhopal police station 21 times and chant “Bharat Mata ki Jai” twice a month until the trial concludes.
Justice DK Paliwal, in his order on Tuesday, stated that the bail was granted with conditions aimed at instilling a sense of responsibility and pride in the country. “The applicant was openly shouting slogans against the nation in which he was born and raised,” the court noted.
The accused, identified as Faizal alias Faizan, was arrested in May after an FIR was lodged against him at Misrod police station, Bhopal, under Section 153B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with imputations prejudicial to national integration. The court’s directive requires him to salute the national flag and raise the “Bharat Mata ki Jai” slogan at the police station on the first and fourth Tuesdays of each month until the trial is completed.
The High Court also set the terms of his bail: Faizal must furnish a personal bond of ₹50,000, along with one solvent surety of the same amount, to the satisfaction of the trial court. He is required to make regular appearances at the trial and report to Misrod police station on the designated days to fulfill the court’s directives regarding the flag salute and slogan.
The prosecution accused Faizal of shouting pro-Pakistan slogans, an act they claimed promoted enmity between groups and was harmful to national integration. The police had filed a charge sheet following the investigation.
Faizal’s defense counsel argued that he had been falsely implicated, but acknowledged that a video showed him shouting slogans in support of Pakistan and against India. The state’s counsel opposed the bail, pointing out that Faizal is a habitual offender with 14 criminal cases already registered against him.
Despite these concerns, the court granted bail with the conditions aimed at fostering a sense of national pride in the accused.
