SC grants bail to BJP activist Priyanka Sharma who morphed photo of WB CM Mamata

The senior advocate said the BJP activist has been forced to move the apex court as there is a complete strike in local courts till May 14 in Howrah and moreover, she has been remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a Howrah local court on May 11.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to BJP activist who was arrested by West Bengal police for allegedly posting a morphed image of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media, on a condition that she submits a written apology for her action. The bail plea was heard by a vacation bench, comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday took note of the plea of senior advocate N K Kaul, representing the jailed activist that her plea challenging the arrest needed to be heard urgently. Priyanka Sharma, a BJP Yuva Morcha leader, was arrested on May 10 by the state police under section 500 (defamation) of the IPC and under other provisions of the Information Technology Act on the complaint of a local Trinamool Congress leader Vibhas Hazra, the plea said. The senior advocate said the BJP activist has been forced to move the apex court as there is a complete strike in local courts till May 14 in Howrah and moreover, she has been remanded to 14 days judicial custody by a Howrah local court on May 11. Sharma allegedly shared on Facebook the photo in which Banerjee's face has been photoshopped on to actor Priyanka Chopra's picture from the MET Gala event in New York. Her arrest was followed by protests from the BJP and other social media users.