'This is not murder': SC orders release of UP journalist arrested for 'defaming' Adityanath

New Delhi, June 11: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of journalist Prashant Kanojia, saying a person could not be kept in jail for 11 days over a social media post.

The court also asked the government why was he arrested and under what provisions. Observing that it was not a murder case, the court said that journalist Prashant Kanojia must be released on bail.

The Supreme Court slammed the UP government observing, "Liberty of citizen is sacrosanct and non-negotiable. It is guaranteed by the constitution and it cannot be infringed."

"Have you ever some across remand for 11 days in such a case? Sit behind the bars day after day and challenge the order? That is not a very fair stand," the apex court said.

The Supreme Court bench also said that the court does not appreciate the tweets posted by Kanojia but those cannot be grounds to put him behind bars.

The top court was hearing a petition by Kanojia's wife, challenging his arrest on Saturday.

Prashant Kanojia, a freelance journalist, was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police in Delhi on Saturday for a tweet that had "objectionable comments" on Yogi Adityanath. He had shared a video on Twitter and Facebook where a woman is seen speaking to reporters of various media organisations outside Yogi Adityanath's office, claiming that she had sent him a marriage proposal.

An FIR was registered against Kanojia at Hazratganj police station in Lucknow in which UP Police alleged that the accused made "objectionable comments against the CM and tried to malign his image".