Man accused of morphing pics of female students on Instagram, gets bail

4 min readNew DelhiJul 9, 2026 04:34 PM IST

The man said that the images were forwarded by another accused and later shared on Instagram.

The Madras High Court has granted bail to a man accused of circulating “morphed” and “vulgar” images of female students on Instagram, observing that his mobile phone had been recovered by the police.

While hearing the bail plea of the man, Justice K Rajasekar ordered him not to directly or indirectly threaten, influence or induce anyone connected with the case.

“Considering the facts and circumstances of the case, nature of allegations, the mobile phone of the petitioner was also recovered, and also considering the period of incarceration, I am inclined to grant bail to the petitioner subject to certain conditions,” the July 8 order noted.

According to the prosecution, the petitioner’s friend was a co-accused in the case. This friend—a student at the same college—allegedly sent photographs of female classmates to the petitioner, who then morphed the images and posted them on Instagram.

The police booked the petitioner for the offences of identity theft, obscene material and sexually explicit act under the various provisions of the Information Technology Act and other serious offences of sexual harassment and insulting a female’s modesty under the BNS.

Justice K Rajasekar granted bail to a man accused of morphing pictures of female college students on Instagram, noting that another accused was absconding for investigation.

Images forwarded: Accused

Following a complaint, the college’s internal committee conducted an enquiry and found that the petitioner, along with another accused, was involved in the act. Based on the material on record, a complaint was lodged, and the petitioner was arrested after the case was registered.

The man’s advocate, T Anthony Arulraj, argued that his client was innocent and hadn’t committed any such offence. The lawyer claimed that the petitioner had been framed.

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It was argued that the petitioner had not created or circulated any morphed photographs of the girls. The counsel submitted that the images were forwarded by another accused and later shared on Instagram.

The counsel also stated that the police had blocked vulgar images and that the petitioner had been in custody since June 21, 2026. He assured that the petitioner would abide by any condition imposed and sought bail.

N Balasubramanian, counsel for the state, opposed the petitioner’s bail plea, alleging that he was just a friend of the accused, who had widely circulated them. It was submitted that another accused was absconding and the investigation was still pending.

‘Bail granted’

The court, after considering the nature of the allegations, the recovery of the petitioner’s mobile phone, and the period already spent in custody, granted him bail provided he follows the conditions imposed.

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The conditions included execution of a Rs 15,000 bond with two sureties, daily appearance before the police for four weeks, and not influencing any witnesses, committing a similar offence or absconding.

The court held that on breach of any of the aforesaid conditions, the judicial magistrate/trail court would be entitled to take appropriate action against the petitioner in accordance with law. It added that if the accused thereafter absconds, a fresh FIR can be registered under Section 269 BNS.

Somya Panwar works with the Legal Desk at The Indian Express, where she covers the various High Courts across the country and the Supreme Court of India. Her writing is driven by a deep interest in how law influences society, particularly in areas of gender, feminism, and women’s rights.

She is especially drawn to stories that examine questions of equality, autonomy, and social justice through the lens of the courts. Her work aims to make complex legal developments accessible, contextual, and relevant to everyday readers, with a focus on explaining what court decisions mean beyond legal jargon and how they shape public life.

Alongside reporting, she manages the social media presence for Indian Express Legal, where she designs and curates posts using her understanding of digital trends, audience behaviour, and visual communication. Combining legal insight with strategic content design, she works on building engagement and expanding the desk’s digital reach.

Somya holds a B.A. LL.B and a Master’s degree in Journalism. Before moving fully into media, she gained experience in litigation and briefly worked in corporate, giving her reporting a strong foundation. ... Read More

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