Chandigarh: Student accused of hacking email account gets bail

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Chandigarh, June 10

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today granted bail to a student, who had allegedly hacked the email account of the educational institute’s director before uploading morphed pictures of his teachers.

Granting bail, Justice Anil Kshetarpal asserted it was not in dispute that the petitioner was a student. He had already been rusticated from the university concerned and was in custody for more than three months.

Taking up the bail plea filed against the state of Punjab and other respondents through counsel PS Ahluwalia, Justice Kshetarpal observed that the petitioner was seeking the grant of bail pending trial in a criminal case arising from an FIR registered on February 26 under Section 66(C) and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act, and the provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act at the Punjab State Cyber Crime police station.

As per the prosecution, the petitioner hacked the email account of the director and thereafter uploaded the morphed pictures of his teachers, which were then circulated to various students. The counsel representing the state of Punjab told the Bench that the petitioner was not required for further custodial interrogation.

The counsel representing the victims, on the other hand, contended that the petitioner had committed a heinous crime as he had posted obscene morphed pictures of his teachers.

The Bench observed: “In the considered view of this Bench, further incarceration of the petitioner shall not be appropriate. Without commenting on the merits of the case and keeping in view the acts, it is considered appropriate to release the petitioner on regular bail on his furnishing bail bonds/surety bonds to the satisfaction of the concerned trial court/duty magistrate/area magistrate.”