The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to two men—Sachin Sirohi and Sanjay Samarval—who were accused of promoting religious enmity by allegedly reciting the Hanuman Chalisa outside a mosque in Meerut.

According to the prosecution, the duo, along with others, forcibly chanted the Hindu devotional hymn at a religious site belonging to another faith, allegedly to incite hatred and disturb communal harmony.

Opposing the bail plea, the counsel for the Uttar Pradesh government and the aggrieved parties contended that the act was a deliberate provocation aimed at creating religious discord and that the allegations warranted the continued detention of the accused.

However, the counsel for the applicants argued that they had been falsely implicated due to political rivalry and that there was no credible evidence to substantiate the charges.

After hearing both sides, Justice Rajbeer Singh noted the nature of the accusations, the period of custody already undergone, and the overall circumstances of the case. Without commenting on the merits of the allegations, the Court concluded that a case for bail had been made out.

Granting relief, the Court ordered, “Considering the submissions of learned counsel for the parties, nature of accusations, period of detention and all attending facts and circumstances of the case, a case for bail is made out. Accordingly, the bail application is allowed.”