“Why this vengeance against this man?” SC asks Tamil Nadu, Bihar govts over YouTuber Manish Kashyap’s arrest

Satya Prakash

New Delhi, April 21

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices to the governments of Tamil Nadu and Bihar on YouTuber Manish Kashyap’s petition challenging his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) over his alleged fake videos on violence against migrant workers in the southern state.

A Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha was surprised to know that NSA has been invoked against Kashyap – who has also sought clubbing of multiple FIRs registered against him in the two states and transferring of the cases to Bihar.

“NSA against him! Why this vengeance against this man?” the Bench asked senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who represented the Tamil Nadu Government.

Sibal said Kashyap made fake videos claiming that migrant labourers from Bihar were getting attacked in Tamil Nadu. “He has got 60 lakh followers (on social media). He is a politician. He has contested elections. He is not a journalist,” Sibal said, opposing the transfer of cases to Bihar.

On behalf of Kashyap, senior advocate Siddhartha Dave submitted that NSA had been invoked against his client who was arrested after six FIRs were registered against him in Tamil Nadu and three in Bihar.

The top court directed the Tamil Nadu government not to shift YouTuber Manish Kashyap, arrested for allegedly circulating fake videos of migrant labourers being attacked in the southern state, from the Madurai Central Prison.

“We direct that the petitioner be not moved from the Central Prison Madurai,” the Bench said, posting for further hearing on April 28.

The top court had on April 11 issued notice to the Centre, Tamil Nadu and Bihar government on Kashyap’s plea seeking clubbing of the FIRs lodged against him. Kashyap has also sought quashing of the FIRs lodged against him over the same alleged cause of action.