The Allahabad High Court granted bail to Ashraf Khan alias Nisrat on Tuesday. Ashraf was arrested for alleged objectionable content on social media that targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Armed Forces amidst the India-Pakistan military face-off in 2025, Live Law reported.
Ashraf was granted bail on the condition that he shall not upload any objectionable content on social media. The bail was conditioned on his not uploading any content that promotes separatist sentiments.
A bench of Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal ruled that a timely and quick trial is a fundamental right of an accused. The court highlighted that, despite the charges being framed in February 2025, the court has failed to witness even a single witness till now.
In the meantime, the court noted that the prime allegations, which are associated with making objectionable videos, were attributed to co-accused Shahrukh Khan, who was notably granted bail by a coordinate bench in August 2025.
Ashraf Khan was booked under sections 152 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He reportedly uploaded edited videos on the social media platform Facebook amidst the India-Pakistan military tensions.
The post showed the prime minister alongside a donkey pulling a cart that carried aircraft. The depiction showed him apologizing to Pakistan with Indian Air Force Wing Commander Vyomika Singh sitting with Pakistan’s army chief.
In another post, Ashraf Khan depicted the text “Pakistan Air Force Zindabad,” showing a Pakistani aircraft destroying an Indian aircraft.
In July last year, the same bench rejected Ashraf Khan’s first bail plea, saying that if the constitution guarantees free speech, that does not protect actions that are disrespecting the constitutional functionaries or create disharmony among citizens.
The Allahabad High Court had said that many individuals have turned social media abuse into a popular trend, falsely claiming it is protected “free speech.” The court emphasized that people frequently use these online platforms to invent baseless accusations against senior government figures.
