Mamata Government Issued Notice By SC Over Long Delay In Releasing Woman Arrested Over A Meme

The Supreme Court on Monday (1 July) issued a notice to the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on the contempt petition filed by brother of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested by the WB police for sharing a meme of the state CM, reports LiveLaw.

The petition alleged that despite the apex court’s order of Sharma’s immediate release, she was not released by the police immediately.

Questioning why the BJYM leader was not released immediately after the SC order in May, the court asked the state to file a response in four weeks.

Sharma had allegedly shared a meme on social media in which Banerjee’s face photoshopped to actor Priyanka Chopra’s picture from the MET Gala event in New York. The BJYM leader was arrested and put behind bars for sharing the meme.

The arrest, which happened in the middle of heated election campaign in Bengal, attracted widespread criticism as a high-handed clampdown on political opponents. Following this, a petition was filed in the SC for her release.

The apex court, which initially said Sharma's apology would be a bail condition, later clarified that it would not be a condition for bail, but she should apologise for sharing the post at the time of her release, reports News18.

The BJP activist had refused to apologise and instead alleged that she was harassed and tortured inside jail. Her family had alleged that the jail authorities violated the SC order by not releasing immediately.