Mansoor Ali Khan, the Tamil actor and politician, was granted bail by the Madras High Court on Thursday after he was booked by the Chennai Police for his controversial remarks against Covid-19 vaccination after the demise of actor-comedian Vivekh, PTI reported.
The case was heard by Justice M Dhandapani. Khan was asked to pay Rs 2 lakh to the Tamil Nadu government to procure Covid-19 vaccines.
While Khan’s anticipatory bail plea was earlier rejected by the principal sessions judge, Justice Dhandapani noted that Khan should not be spreading misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.
On April 17, Vivekh died of a heart attack, days after he had received the Covid-19 vaccination at a government hospital in Chennai. While health officials and hospital staff clarified that he did not die due to the vaccination and that his death was a “separate cardiac event”, Khan, while addressing the media wondered why the actor had to be vaccinated when he was already fit.
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Questioning the vaccine’s efficiency, he had said: “What are the contents in the injection? And why are we compelled to have it? Wasn’t he [Vivekh] perfect until yesterday? Who will be responsible if something happens to him? Why cannot people drink herbal and Ayurvedic medicines instead of getting vaccinated? It is atrocious to see a man who was doing well and getting sick after getting the vaccine.”
Following his remarks, a health officer of the Greater Chennai Corporation filed a complaint against him at Chennai’s Vadapalani Police Station. He was booked for offences, “wantonly giving provocation”, and “intent to cause fear to the public”.
According to PTI, Khan had said that his statement after Vivekh’s death was “spontaneous and an emotional outburst” and was not meant to doubt the results of the vaccine. He added that he did not mean to hurt anyone.