YouTuber Manish Kashyap produced before courts in Bettiah

Bihar YouTuber Manish Kashyap, who has been lodged in a jail in Madurai since his arrest in March this year for allegedly circulating fabricated videos of “attacks on migrant labourers in Tamil Nadu”, was produced before two separate courts at Bettiah in West Champaran district in different cases on Monday, police said.

This was the first time that Kashyap, a resident of West Champaran, was brought here since he was arrested and taken to Tamil Nadu.

Kashyap was produced before the court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) in a case related to obstructing a bank manager from discharging his official duty.

After that, he was produced before the court of judicial magistrate Manjoor Alam in a case of manhandling BJP candidate Umakant Singh a day before assembly elections in 2020, the police said, adding that he was brought here on transit remand by the Tamil Nadu police.

Kashyap’s lawyer Abdul Hai Akhtar said the court has ordered him to be sent to Bettiah jail. “He will be lodged at Bettiah jail. The court can ask Kashyap to appear before it in person whenever he is required,” said Akhtar, who argued for Kashyap in the CJM court.

Appearing for Kashyap before the court of judicial magistrate Manjoor Alam, lawyer Vinod Kumar Mishra argued that seven cases were pending against his client in West Champaran and hence he should be lodged in Bettiah jail.

However, the Tamil Nadu police team took Kashyap under their custody following his court appearance.

It’s not immediately clear if the YouTuber has been kept in Bettiah or has been taken back.