Madurai: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has granted conditional bail to a Roman Catholic priest who was arrested for his hate speech against Bharat Mata, Hindus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Kanniyakumari-based priest George Ponnaiah was arrested by a special police team on 24 July in Madurai and remanded in judicial custody.
Later, Stephen a member of the Christian Movement who had arranged the function at Arumunai on 18 July where the priest had made the disparaging remarks, was also arrested and remanded in judicial custody.
When the bail plea of George Ponnaiah came up for hearing, the court granted him bail considering his age and that he was a heart patient with a condition that he should sign at the Thillai Nagar police station in Tiruchirapalli daily.
The priest also filed an affidavit in which he had said that he would refrain from making remarks that would arouse caste and political feelings.
The priest of Panavilai parish in Kanyakumari district was arrested after his disparaging remarks went viral on the social media and after police booked the priest for spreading hate and enmity between religious groups.