Ranchi: Court grants bail to student, directs her to distribute copies of Quran

Ranchi: A student has been granted bail by a Ranchi court after a case was registered against her for allegedly sharing communal content on Facebook on the condition that she would distribute five copies of the religious book Quran at different organisations, The Times of India reported.

Judicial Magistrate Manish Singh allowed bail to the accused Richa Bharti directing her to give one copy of the religious text to Sadar Anjuman Islamia Committee and four copies to the libraries of various educational institutions.

Bharti’s counsel appearing on her behalf said, “The court has given conditional bail stating that the girl will gift one copy to Anjuman Islamia in the presence of the administration and take a receipt.

She would distribute four texts of the Quran to various libraries through the local police station. She has to submit the five receipts before the court within 15 days.”

Pithoria Police Station registered the case after the girl shared the message on Facebook which had communal content. Subsequently, she was arrested which drew sharp criticism from the local community.

A dharna was staged by the locals outside the police station demanding her release which was withdrawn after the rural Superintendent of Police Ashutosh Shekhar assured her release.