Release UP journo immediately: SC

New Delhi: Directing immediate release on bail of journalist Prashant Kanojia, arrested for allegedly making objectionable comments on social media against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Supreme Court Tuesday said fundamental right to liberty is "sacrosanct" and "non-negotiable".

The apex court clarified however that granting bail to Kanojia cannot be construed as approval of the posts or tweets.

The order is being passed in "view of the excessiveness of the action taken", it said, making it clear that the proceedings against the journalist will go on as per the law.

The top court slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for arresting the scribe and observed that fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution cannot be infringed upon by the state.

It was a "glaring case of deprivation of liberty" as Kanojia has been remanded to almost two-week judicial custody for putting up posts or tweets in social media, said a vacation bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Ajay Rastogi.

Kanojia had allegedly shared a video on Twitter and Facebook wherein a woman is seen speaking to reporters of various media organisations outside the chief minister's office in Lucknow, claiming that she had sent a marriage proposal to Adityanath.

During the hearing, the bench questioned the almost two-week long judicial custody of Kanojia and said, "Is this a case of murder?"

The wife of the journalist on Tuesday said the Supreme Court decision to grant him bail has reaffirmed her belief in the Constitution.