Apex court grants relief from arrest to actor-turned-BJP leader Shekher

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest till June 1 to actor-turned-BJP leader S Ve Shekher, against whom a case was lodged for sharing a Facebook post allegedly containing derogatory references to women scribes and the media.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Navin Sinha also issued notice to Tamil Nadu seeking its reply on the plea filed by Shekher, who has challenged the May 10 order of Madras High Court dismissing his petition seeking anticipatory bail in the case. The bench, while posting the matter for further hearing on June 1, said no coercive action should be taken against Shekhar till then.

An FIR was registered against Shekher by the Cyber Crime cell for alleged offences under various sections of the IPC, including insult intended to provoke breach of peace, gesture and words intended to insult the modesty of a woman and under provisions of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Women Harassment Act.

He has claimed in his plea that he was not the author of the Facebook post and was not aware about its contents when he forwarded it after receiving it from one Tirumalai Sa.

He has also said that he had removed the post after he came to know about its content.