SC Orders Release of Man Detained Under NSA for AI-Meme-Driven Hate Crime in MP

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The Supreme Court has ordered the immediate release of Anuj Pandey, a man detained under the National Security Act (NSA) after a hate crime in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district. Pandey was accused of coercing an OBC man into washing his feet and drinking the same water as punishment for sharing an AI-generated image that mocked him for selling liquor despite a local ban. The incident, which took place in a temple, was widely condemned and sparked public outrage across the state. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had invoked the NSA against Pandey and others visible in a viral video of the incident. However, a bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta stayed the high court's order and agreed to examine Pandey's challenge to the preventive detention. The Supreme Court's order comes amid a backdrop of rising incidents of caste violence in Madhya Pradesh. In its suo motu proceedings, the high court had described the incident as a "deep caste discrimination and a serious assault on human dignity." The court had also noted that the victim appeared to have been coerced and intimidated by a group of villagers. The case highlights the dangers of vigilantism and the need for due process in cases of preventive detention. The Supreme Court's decision to release Pandey from custody with immediate effect is a significant development in this case and may have implications for future cases of hate crimes and preventive detention in India.