Allahabad High Court has imposed a social media gag as condition for granting bail to a person accused of making objectionable remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other public representatives. Akhilanand Rao, the bail applicant, is not allowed to use social media for two years, or until conclusion of the case at the Trial Court, whichever is earlier. LiveLaw first reported this. Rao has been accused of falsely showing his status to “obtain undue advantages”, per the court order. However, Rao’s lawyer argued that the police had booked Rao under false claims. Rao has been in in jail since May 2020, and has a criminal history of 11 cases. A Single Bench of Justice Siddharth held that should Rao use social media before the stipulated time, his bail will be cancelled. Courts around the country issue social media gag orders Social media gag orders as a condition of bail, are steadily becoming more prevalent across judgements. The Allahabad High Court itself, in May this year, had prohibited senior Congress leader Sachin Choudhary — who was arrested for holding a press conference during the lockdowns — from using social media until the case is resolved. But, there have been more such orders: In September, the Kerala High Court told a rape-accused that he may not use social media while on bail, until the investigation is over. The court held that it was important for the accused to not use social media in order to protect the survivor’s privacy.…
