Madhya Pradesh High Court Refuses Anticipatory Bail to Journalists who Made Derogatory Comments About Teacher

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to two journalists who were accused of assaulting a teacher and calling her a 'chindi chor' or 'petty thief' in a news report.

The Court held that the intention of causing humiliation was evident as the teacher belonged to the Scheduled Caste category. 

The Court applied Section 18 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, which prevents the grant of anticipatory bail in a case of atrocities against those belonging to the SC/ST category.

The two men harassed the teacher and used casteist slurs against her when she was on her way home, because she did not let them film the examination.

[Mukesh Kumawat v State of Madhya Pradesh and Ors].