india

Updated: Jul 18, 2019 07:53 IST

A court in Ranchi on Wednesday modified its July 15 order directing a 20-year-old woman to donate five copies of the Quran to educational institutions as an additional condition for her bail.

Richa Bharti, who was released on Monday, was charged with posting content allegedly targeting Muslims on WhatsApp and Facebook on July 12. Magistrate Manish Singh on Monday granted her bail on the condition that she donates five copies of the Quran to government schools and colleges. She expressed her unhappiness over the condition while several people took to social media to criticise Singh.

Singh modified the order after the investigating officer (IO) of the case urged the court to do away with the condition as there were difficulties in its implementation.

“Having gone through the [IO]’s petition...this court modifies its earlier order by dropping the additional condition of distribution of copies of holy Quran by the petitioner. Accordingly, the order dated 15/7/2019 is modified up to this extent. The remaining order shall remain the same,” Singh said in his order, a copy of which is with HT.

The Ranchi district bar association had announced a 48-hour boycott of Singh’s court in protest against the condition. It has convened a meeting on Thursday to decide the future course of action.

Separately, Bharti met Jharkhand State Commission for Women chairperson Kalyani Sharan and submitted a complaint against additional superintendent Amit Renu and Pithoria police station in charge Vinod Ram for acting against her. Bharti alleged that the officers misused their positions and harassed her mentally by arresting her on an “unfounded complaint”. “They have caused irreparable damage to my reputation,” she alleged.

The police officers maintained that they acted as per the law and that had nothing personal against her.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Sahu, who accompanied Bharti to commission’s office, said, “The girl demanded security as she is facing life threat. The commission’s chairperson talked to the police and asked them to provide adequate security to Bharti.”