Ranchi, Jan. 11: St Xavier’s College teacher Efram Baa, who was arrested on January 8 for allegedly outraging the modesty of a student, was granted bail today.

Chief judicial magistrate Vijay Kumar okayed the bail on two sureties of Rs 5,000 each but reserved judgement in the case against Baa who was finally released around 5.45pm.

Baa’s lawyer, Rashmi Katyayan, told the court that of the four sections of IPC under which the professor was booked three were bailable. “Except Section 153 (B) (making assertions prejudicial to national integration), the other sections, including 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 354 (assault or criminal force on women with intent to outrage her modesty) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), are bailable,” he said.

Ever since Baa was charged, the legal fraternity had questioned the use of Section 153 (B) against him since there was no way the professor’s alleged actions — tugging at the scarf of a student — threatened national integration.

Katyayan argued that Baa had no intention of outraging the modesty of the student. It was an “effort to identify her” since she was taking part in a campus agitation.

On booking him under Section 153 (B), a non-bailable offence, Katyayan didn’t comment, but requested the court to ask public prosecutor Sanjeev Kumar Sinha about the circumstances in which the section was used.

Sinha, who did not oppose bail, wound up arguments, by saying, “The FIR was lodged in the spur of the moment… .”

According to sources, DSP Anuranjan Kispotta had withdrawn charges levelled under Section 153 (B) in the supervision report of the FIR against Baa. The police had also informed the public prosecutor about it.