The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to two individuals—Sachin Sirohi, a leader of the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Suraksha Samiti, and Sanjay Samarval—who were arrested in March 2025 for allegedly reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ near a mosque in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
A single bench of Justice Raj Beer Singh heard their bail plea in Criminal Misc. Bail Application No. 17153 of 2025. The two were charged under Sections 191(2), 196, and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Sadar Bazar police station, Meerut.
As per the prosecution, the accused along with their associates had gathered outside a mosque, raised anti-religious slogans, and forcibly recited the Hanuman Chalisa, allegedly to promote enmity on religious grounds. They were also accused of threatening to demolish the mosque, which reportedly created panic among people heading toward the railway station.
The defense counsel, Ayush Kaushik, argued that the applicants were innocent and politically targeted. He claimed that the FIR and witness statements lacked credible evidence. It was also pointed out that the criminal history attributed to the accused had already been explained in the affidavit supporting the bail plea.
Quoting the judge’s remarks:
"It is well settled that at pre-conviction stage, there is presumption of innocence. The object of keeping a person in custody is to ensure his availability to face the trial and to receive the sentence that may be passed. The detention is not supposed to be punitive or preventive."
The Additional Government Advocate and the counsel for the aggrieved party opposed the bail, stating that the accused had incited religious discord by their actions.
However, the High Court emphasized that the seriousness of the allegations alone cannot be the ground to deny bail. The court considered the nature of accusations, period of detention, and surrounding circumstances, and decided to grant bail without expressing any opinion on the merits of the case.
The bail was granted with standard conditions, including:
- The applicants must not tamper with evidence.
- They must not intimidate witnesses.
- They are required to attend trial proceedings regularly.
- They should avoid influencing anyone related to the case.
“In case of breach of any of the above conditions, the Court concerned shall be at liberty to cancel bail of applicants in accordance with law,” the court noted.
Bench: Hon’ble Justice Raj Beer Singh
Case Title: Sachin Sirohi And Another vs. State of U.P.
Order Date: 3rd June 2025
