Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Apr 14: Postcard News co-founder and editor Mahesh Vikram Hegde, who was arrested by the crime branch of Bengaluru police on March 28, on charges of spreading fake and communally sensitive news was released from Dharwad prison on interim bail on April 13.
BJP MP Pratap Simha confirmed the same on Twitter saying, 'After 17 days of ordeal, @mvmeet is free now!'
According to a source close to Hegde, his arrest was 'politically motivated' and 'aimed to detain and harass him'. However, he was granted interim bail after a strong argument by his lawyers.
Mahesh Hegde was charged for captioning a photo of Jain monk Upadhyaya Mayank Sagar Ji Maharaj, who was recently injured in a road accident. Hegde had tweeted on March 19: "Very sad news, yesterday in Karnataka Jain muni attacked by Muslim youth. No one is safe in Siddaramaiah’s Karnataka." The same was tweeted on the Postcard News handle as well.
An Alt News expose had found that the photo was taken from the website of online Jain news portal, Ahimsa Kranti.
Hegde was then arrested by the CCB based on a complaint filed against him in Bengaluru.
The high court ordered an interim stay on the CCB police investigation on April 10. Justice Aravind Kumar further ordered notices to the CCB cybercrime police and complainant Gafar Baig in the case.
Though Hegde received a bail and was released from the Parappana Agrahara, he was arrested by the Karwar police with regard to another case.
"The state government is hell bent to see him behind the bars," says the source.
The Uttar Kannada district and sessions court granted him interim bail in the cases after which he was released on April 13.
The Karnataka high court has sent the notice for the next hearing with regard to the CCB case on April 25.