Madhya Pradesh court denies bail to youth who insulted national flag

Rehan alias Shahrukh Khan, a resident of Mandla district was charged under sections for Rashtriya Gaurav Apman Nivaran Adhiniyam (Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act) and Information Technology (IT) Act on June 25 this year on the basis of a complaint lodged by another youth Sonu Yadav. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act,1971, prohibits desecration of or insult to the country’s national symbols, including the flag, constitution and anthem.It says "Whoever in any public place or in any other place within public view burns, mutilates, defaces, defiles, disfigures, destroys, tramples upon or otherwise shows disrespect to or brings into contempt (whether by words, either spoken or written or by acts) the Indian national flag or any part thereof, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or fine, or both"‘Indian National Flag’ includes any picture, painting, drawing or photograph, or other visible representation of the Indian flag, or of any part or parts thereof, made of any substance or represented on any substance.A single bench of Justice Subash Kakde on Friday dismissed the bail plea after hearing arguments from a panel of lawyers on behalf of state government who said the alleged conduct of disrespecting the national flag was highly condemnable. They also said that the accused had used a false identity of one Uday Chandra to post the picture.