Delhi HC to hear YouTuber’s plea for anticipatory bail in SC/ST Act case

The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on September 16 a plea by YouTuber Ajeet Bharti seeking anticipatory bail in a case against him over alleged casteist remarks against Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad.

As Bharti’s counsel sought interim protection from arrest in the meantime, Justice Saurabh Banerjee said, “Day after tomorrow, we will see.”

Hearing in the matter was deferred after Justice Banerjee noted that the petitioner did not have a copy of the complete FIR dated August 23.

The counsel for the prosecution assured him that the entire FIR would be supplied during the course of the day.

Bharti approached the high court after a trial court here refused to grant him pre-arrest bail in the case on September 7.

During the trial court proceedings, Bharti’s lawyer had contended that he did not use any casteist slur and had responded to a grave provocation against his family member.

Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Pratap Singh, however, dismissed Bharti’s plea.

Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, in a complaint to the Delhi Police, has alleged that Bharti made caste-based, abusive, derogatory and humiliating statements against him, the members of the Scheduled Caste community, and B R Ambedkar on social media.

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The FIR was registered under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Information Technology Act and the BNS.

The trial court, while denying anticipatory bail, said the ingredients of the offence under the SC/ST Act were prima facie disclosed in the material before it, which bars granting pre-arrest bail to an accused.