Kozhikode: DYFI leader Jithin Bhaskar, who was arrested in the controversial 'Kafir screenshot' case, has been granted bail. Kozhikode Principal Sessions Judge V S Bindu Kumari allowed the bail application. The court had previously deferred pronouncing its verdict on the bail plea twice. Jithin Bhaskar had been in remand since June 16 following his arrest in the case.

He approached the District Court after the Vadakara First Class Judicial Magistrate Court initially denied him bail. Jithin was a DYFI Vadakara Block Committee member and a CPM Thiruvallur Thuruthi Local Committee member. According to the police investigation, Jithin broadcasted the message to 200 people and subsequently destroyed the evidence.

The District Forensic Science Laboratory has obtained evidence regarding this. A previous investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had revealed that another DYFI leader, Ribesh Ramakrishnan, had circulated the screenshot through a WhatsApp group named 'Vadakara Squad'. Jithin is the administrator of the 'Vadakara Squad' WhatsApp group.

Following this, the screenshot was forwarded to other groups. This case created a major political storm in the state during the Vadakara parliamentary election. The post was circulated by making Youth League worker Muhammad Kasim a scapegoat, portraying Shafi Parambil as a devout Muslim and K K Shailaja as a 'Kafir' (infidel).

The SIT recently removed Muhammad Kasim from the list of accused. Meanwhile, Jithin informed the court that he would cooperate with the investigation and alleged that a political conspiracy was behind the case.