A court in New Delhi granted bail on Wednesday night to social media influencer Dr Neelam Singh, widely known as 'The Skin Doctor', in a case filed by Delhi Police over a tweet concerning Priya Kapur, the wife of late industrialist Sunjay Kapur.
Court Observation
Judicial Magistrate First Class Snehil Sharma of Patiala House Courts passed the order around 10 pm at his residence. The judge noted, “There is no mens rea (guilty mind) in the act of the accused and no criminality emerges from the said tweet.”
Reference to Legal Guidelines
The court referred to the Arnesh Kumar vs State of Bihar guidelines, which discourage unnecessary arrests in offences punishable with less than seven years of imprisonment. “All the offences against him are under five-year punishment,” the judge observed. The court also noted that the accused had cooperated in the investigation.
Bail Conditions
Singh was granted bail on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 1,000. The court also recorded that he was ready to deposit his mobile phone within a week.
Background of the Case
Singh, a dermatologist with an active social media presence, was arrested on Wednesday evening after Priya Kapur lodged a complaint. She alleged that a post purportedly uploaded by the accused on X was false and based on alleged manipulation of court records. According to the complaint, the defamatory content was intentionally posted to tarnish her reputation.
An FIR was registered under sections 303 (theft) and 356(2) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with provisions of the Information Technology Act. Delhi Police had sought two days of custody. Police were investigating an alleged leak or theft of call detail records of Priya Kapur, which was posted on X by some handles. The accused denied having posted or having any knowledge about it. Police sources suggested he might have reshared such a post.
Defence Arguments
Advocates Ravi Sharma and Siddharth Handa, appearing for Singh, argued that the court records referred to in the post were public documents forming part of a signed affidavit.
