New Delhi, May 30: Days after the Supreme Court granted bail to BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma who shared an objectionable caricature of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the apex court has intervened into a similar case, where an activist has been booked for writing a social media post critical of the Trinamool government.

The top court bench granted a seven-day interim protection to Anirban Das, a social activist who is apprehending arrest in a criminal case filed in Bengal's Alipurduar for publishing a Facebook post critical of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Priyanka Sharma, BJP Youth Worker Arrested For Posting Morphed Photo Of Mamata Banerjee, Gets Bail

Das, through his counsel Dipak Kumar Jena, submitted before the court that he is apprehending arrest as the police is acting on the direction and guidance of its political masters.

Das moved the apex court citing the prolonged strike of lawyers in the state, and said he fears that his liberty is at grave risk.

He contended before the court that the FIR against him was targeted at suppressing his freedom of expression, and he has been falsely implicated in a criminal case.

He also informed the court he had already tendered an unconditional apology to the person concerned, the Alipurduar Town BLock Trinamool Youth Congress Committee President, who lodged the FIR against him.

"The petitioner only made general criticism against the government of the day on Facebook, but police the registered an FIR", said Das in the petition. He had allegedly published the criticism against Banerjee on April 24.

(With IANS inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2019 03:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).