Nisha Ghosal
In Mandeep v. State of Haryana, based on a dance video on Tik Tok, the Court of Punjab and Haryana granted anticipatory bail to a man booked under the S. 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act.
The accused person Mandeep had posted a dance video on the popular app Tik Tok, on the background song composed by the deceased poet Pandit Jagdish Chander Vats. The complainant has asserted that the dance bruised the prestige of the SC/ST castes.
Granting anticipatory bail, the Bench of Justice Fateh Deep Singh said:
“Petitioner is neither the author/composer nor prepared the music of the song which was composed more than 40/50 years ago by the person who has since died. To the specific query of the Court how mere dancing on the tune of a song and preparing a video hurts the sentiments of the particular caste is a question which is debatable and can only be adjudicated at the time of trial.”
The Court had determined it would be a “travesty of justice” if the accused was sent behind the bars. Thus, the state granted anticipatory bail for Mandeep.