Bihar Man Gets Bail In Case Of Alleged Defamation Of Ex-Police Official

A 28-year-old man was released on bail by a court in Patna after he spent nearly three months in jail in connection with a Facebook post allegedly defaming a former DGP of Bihar, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Jitendra Kumar, who was arrested on July 11, was granted bail by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Kumari Vijaya on Friday, his counsel Manish Shankar said.

The court order follows a submission by the Kotwali Police stating it wants to close the investigation as the complaint itself appears to have been lodged on error of facts, Mr Shankar said, adding that this proves Jitendra's innocence and he may be acquitted in due course.

"My client was named by Aditya Kumar, the main accused in the case, against whom an FIR had been lodged at Kotwali Police Station in the city," he said. Aditya had been accused of putting up an objectionable post on the Facebook page of retired IPS officer Abhayanand.

"Unfortunately, Jitendra was picked up by the police and put behind bars merely on the basis of a statement given by Aditya. Till date, the police has not been able to show any incriminating object in Jitendra's possession nor did it bother to record his statement wherein my client would have got an opportunity to prove his innocence," Mr Shankar said.

Jitendra has spent 86 days in jail and his career as a private bank employee is in dire straits, the counsel said. "We hope the court takes note of the manner in which the police have proceeded in the matter. They lodged an FIR in a jiffy, based on a complaint received on e-mail by a third party, not the aggrieved IPS officer," Mr Shankar said.

On the basis of the statement of the named accused, the police picked up my client and made him languish in jail for three months without him committing any crime, the counsel said.

On condition of anonymity, police sources said the "error of facts" in the complaint was established during a high-level inquiry that was ordered by top officials who took note of the complaint that Jitendra Kumar was falsely implicated.

Incidentally, Jitendra Kumar is the next-door neighbour and reported friend of Super 30 founder Anand Kumar.

Super 30 has on several occasions claimed that since its inception in 2002 nearly 500 students hailing from poor sections have cracked JEE and made it to different IITs. Incidentally, Anand Kumar and Abhayanand had worked together in the initial years of Super 30, only to go separate ways after a bitter fight.