P&H HC Grants Bail in Slogan-Shouting Case

The Punjab & Haryana High Court granted bail to a man accused of raising “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans during an Indo-Pak border conflict situation. The Court emphasized that mere sloganeering, without accompanying acts of violence or incitement, may not satisfy stringent requirements for prolonged custody under serious penal provisions. It observed that continued incarceration without trial progression violates personal liberty under Article 21. The judgment stresses the principle that bail is the rule and jail the exception, especially where evidence remains uncorroborated, investigations are over, and the accused is not a flight risk. The Court also commented on the need for proportionality and measured state response in politically charged or emotionally sensitive criminal allegations.