Court grants bail to YouTuber Hindustani Bhau over protest by students near Maha minister's house

Mumbai, Feb 17: A court in Mumbai on Thursday granted bail to YouTuber 'Hindustani Bhau' alias Vikas Fatak in a case pertaining to the protests held by students near Maharashtra Education Minister Varsha Gaikwad's residence here last month seeking cancellation of offline board exams for Classes 10 and 12. Additional sessions Judge P B Jadhav allowed his bail application on surety of Rs 30,000.

Mumbai police had arrested Fatak earlier this month after it emerged from a video that he had asked students to assemble near Gaikwad's residence to demand cancellation of offline exams for Classes 10 and 12 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. The YouTuber had uploaded a video on a social media platform, in which he had purportedly asked students to take part in the protest.

Advocate Aniket Nikam, appearing for Fatak, argued that nowhere in the entire video the accused asked students to take law in their hands or assault anyone. On the contrary, in the accused asked the students to maintain law and order, Nikam submitted.

A large number of students had gathered outside the minister's home on February 1, following which police responded with a mild baton charge to stop them. 'Hindustani Bhau', who participated in reality TV show "Bigg Boss 13", is popular for his videos that are marked by the unique delivery of slang words through which he mainly targets Pakistan and other YouTubers from the neighbouring country.