New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted bail to journalist Prashant Kanojia, who was arrested for allegedly making objectionable comments against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on social media. A vacation bench, comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Ajay Rastogi, said Right to Liberty, a fundamental right, is non-negotiable. However, the bench said the bail does not mean it approves of the journalist's tweets or posts on social media.

The bench had on Monday taken note of the submissions of lawyer Nitya Ramakrishnan, appearing for Kanojia's wife Jagisha Arora, that the arrest was "illegal" and "unconstitutional". Arora had filed a habeas corpus petition (bring the person) challenging the arrest of Kanojia and sought a direction to the Uttar Pradesh Police to release him without any delay. In the petition, filed through lawyer Shadan Farasat, the wife of the vernacular scribe had also sought departmental action against the policemen, who were not in uniform, for arresting Kanojia from Delhi for "bailable offences". The plea had also sought "exemplary damages" for Kanojia for his "illegal arrest".