GANGTOK, May 12 - Research scholar of Sikkim University and student leader Lalit Pokhrel Sharma, who was arrested for a post on Facebook, was released on bail today after spending two days in police custody.
Sharma�s arrest had earlier enraged several sections of people in Sikkim. The Sikkim Progressive Youth Forum had vehemently condemned the arrest. �We believe the arrest of an individual for his Facebook post is a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens,� the group said.
An FIR was filed against Sharma for his alleged Facebook post on the condition of a quarantine centre. The research scholar had called for better facilities for quarantined people in the post, which is still available on his Facebook account.
Earlier, the Bhaichung Bhutia-led Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) had also condemned the arrest.
�If the new Government uses undemocratic measures to suppress the right to free speech, the HSP will oppose it. We demand all charges against Sharma be dropped,� said Biraj Adhikari, spokesperson of the party.