Cartoonist's Freedom of Expression in Question: Supreme Court Steps In

The Supreme Court granted protection to cartoonist Hemant Malviya on Tuesday, amidst accusations of him sharing objectionable content about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and RSS workers online. The top court, however, warned Malviya that continued offensive posting could lead to lawful action.

Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar addressed the issue, noting the concern over abusive social media posts. The case reached the Supreme Court after a Madhya Pradesh High Court refused anticipatory bail to Malviya in July. He was initially booked by Indore's Lasudiya police station in May following a complaint by RSS worker Vinay Joshi.

Accusations were raised that Malviya's posts hurt religious sentiments and disrupted communal harmony. While defending Malviya, advocate Vrinda Grover acknowledged that the content may be in poor taste but argued it was not legally offensive. The Supreme Court discussion touched on the broader abuse of freedom of speech, stressing mature handling of such cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)