Saralnama
The Supreme Court on Tuesday made absolute its interim protection from arrest for Indore-based cartoonist Hemant Malviya, who was booked for allegedly objectionable cartoons depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The court disposed of Malviya’s anticipatory bail petition after noting his compliance with its earlier direction to issue apologies on social media. The original cartoon, published in January 2021, showed Modi administering an injection to a man resembling an RSS member, accompanied by a caption referencing vaccine efficacy. Malviya had agreed to delete the post and issued a public apology in August. The Madhya Pradesh police may seek cancellation of bail if Malviya fails to cooperate with the investigation. He was booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act for promoting enmity between groups, outraging religious feelings, and electronically publishing objectionable material. Malviya contended that his work was satire and that he was not responsible for comments made by others on his posts. The case originated from a complaint by an RSS member alleging defamation and hurt religious sentiments. The Supreme Court’s order follows earlier criticism of Malviya’s conduct as inflammatory and immature. (Updated 2 Sep 2025, 21:43 IST; source: link)