The Madhya Pradesh High Court has granted bail to two men arrested over an Instagram reel in which they expressed support for Iran amid the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The accused, Wasim Khan and Yousuf Mehafooz, were taken into custody on March 8 following a complaint by Brajesh Chavariya. They were booked under Section 196(1)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on allegations of promoting enmity between different groups.

According to the complaint, the men appeared in a reel stating:

“Iran ka sath dene ja rahe hai… Allahu Akbar… Hindustan ka musalman na kal dara tha na ham aaj darengey,” indicating support for Iran.

In its order dated April 9, Justice Ramkumar Choubey observed that the content of the reel merely reflected support for a foreign country and did not amount to promoting enmity within India.

The Court noted that the material on record did not disclose any attempt to incite hatred on grounds such as religion, race, language, or place of birth. Instead, it characterized the statement as a form of protest in favour of Iran, which is currently engaged in a conflict with the United States.

The Bench also expressed concern over the lack of sufficient material to justify the registration of the FIR, observing that the case appeared to have been initiated without adequate grounds.

Accordingly, the Court granted bail to the accused on furnishing a personal bond of ₹50,000 each, along with one surety of the same amount, subject to their appearance before the trial court as required. They have also been directed to comply with Section 480(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

Advocates Zeeshan Siddiqui and Sharik Akeel Farooqui appeared for the accused, while Advocate Amit Pandey represented the State.

Case Title: Wasim Khan and Others v State of Madhya Pradesh.