A 30-year-old man from Assam’s Dhekiajuli, Amit Chakraborty, found himself entangled in a legal battle for allegedly reacting with a laughter emoji to a Facebook post by a woman bureaucrat.
The incident dates back to April 2023, when then Kokrajhar deputy commissioner, Varnali Deka, filed a complaint against Chakraborty, accusing him of harassment, stalking, criminal conspiracy, outraging modesty, and defamation. The issue stemmed from a comment by another user, Naresh Barua, who asked on Deka’s post, “No makeup today, ma’am?” Finding it amusing, Chakraborty reacted with a “haha” emoji.
In January 2024, he was summoned by the Kokrajhar district court following a police charge sheet. After appearing in court on Thursday, he was granted interim bail. “I have to suffer just because I laughed. This is pathetic,” he said.
His lawyer, Veer Saha, confirmed that Chakraborty was asked to appear before the police on January 23, after which they obtained case details and applied for bail. The court granted bail under conditions.
The case has sparked debate over social media freedom, with many questioning whether an emoji warrants such severe legal action.
