In a relief to Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari, the Karnataka high court on Thursday passed an interim order restraining Ghaziabad police from initiating any coercive action against him in connection with the probe into the assault on an elderly Muslim man in UP.

Justice G Narendar added that if the UP police desired to investigate or examine the petitioner, they may do so in virtual mode. The matter has now been listed for further consideration and objections, if any, on June 29.

Maheshwari had challenged the notice issued by UP police under Section 41A of the CrPC to appear in person at the Loni Border police station in Ghaziabad at 10.30am on Thursday. On June 15, Ghaziabad police booked the microblogging platform, a news website and some journalists over the circulation of a video related to the assault.

The case has been registered under IPC sections related to incitement and criminal conspiracy, among others.

"We received a mail from Manish Maheshwari on Thursday morning, saying he cannot appear at Loni border police station in response to the two notices issued to him under sections 166 and 41A of the CrPc," said SSP Amit Pathak.

(With inputs from agencies)