Advocate Deepika Singh Rajawat Files Anticipatory Bail Plea In Jammu Court Over FIR On Navratri Tweet [Read Application]

The matter is likely to be heard today by Judge Sanjeev Gupta.

The case concerns a FIR registered against her at the Gandhi Nagar police station in Jammu for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of a community in her tweet on Navratri.

On October 19, Rajawat had tweeted a cartoon, contrasting women safety with Devi pujan offered on Navratri, with a caption "Irony". The picture juxtaposed two scenes: in one scene, a man touching feet of a female Hindu deity during the nine-day Hindu festival of Navratri; in the other scene, with the header other days, a man is aggressively holding both the legs of a woman.

She has now been booked under Sections 505 (Statements conducing to public mischief), 294 (Obscene acts) and 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the IPC.

Rajawat has stated that she posted the said tweet "with an objective to raise voice against increasing rape cases in India and condemn people who bring atrocities on Women".

She further stated,

"the said picture which highlights the hypocrisy of society towards women was not about religion. It neither abuse Hindu religion nor religious faith of Hindus."

She has alleged that her tweet was painted communally by the BJP IT Cell 4, which also started an online campaign against her on social media demanding her arrest, and promoted the hashtag— #ArrestDeepikaSinghRajawat.

"They accused her of hurting religious sentiments and started filing frivolous complaints against her at different places," the pre-arrest bail states.

Thereafter, Rajawat made several tweets, alleging that she was being threatened by the public and was "Not feeling safe" anymore. She also alleged that a mob had assembled outside her residence, and raised slogans against her.

"On 19th itself, Bajrang Dal led by Rakesh Bajrangi, State President held protest outside her residence and extended death threats to her… The said protest continued till 1:00AM and to protect herself from the aggressive mob that assembled outside her residence, she had to call police which disbursed the mob," the application further states.

Rajawat had represented the Kathua gangrape victim in 2018.

Picture Courtesy: Mid-day

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