Dharam Sansad hate speech: Police take U-turn; file FIR
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Representational.
New Delhi: The Delhi police have filed a fresh affidavit before Supreme Court, saying they have filed an FIR on the Dharam Sansad hate speech case, days after the latter reprimanded the former over its initial affidavit, IANS reported.
Taking a U-turn from its earlier stand, Delhi Police told the apex court that it had registered an FIR after examining the materials. The fresh affidavit said that all links given in the complaint and other materials available in the public domain were analysed, and a video was found on YouTube.
"After further minute verification of the materials, FIR dated May 4, 2022, has been registered at police station Okhla Industrial Area for offences of Section 153A, 295A, 298, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code," the affidavit said. Police submitted that investigation would be carried out in accordance with the law.
In its first affidavit, Delhi Police said, "The findings of the inquiry after visual and audio examination of the evidence further disclose that the speech did not contain any hate words against a particular community, and persons who gathered there with a motive to save the ethics of their community".
Police had also said that there were no words used which could be interpreted as open calls for genocide of Muslims or murder of an entire community in the speech.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Kapil Sibal asked the court to decide constitutionally what the 'ethics of their community" are. Then, the bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Abhay S. Oka asked whether the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) stands by the affidavit filed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, prepared based on a sub-inspector level officer's report.
Then ASG told the court that they wanted to take a re-look at the matter and added that a fresh affidavit would be filed.
Further hearing on the matter is posted for May 9.
The SC was hearing a petition filed by journalist Qurban Ali and former Patna High Court judge and senior advocate Anjana Prakash, seeking action against those who made alleged hate3 speeches during religious conclaves in Haridwar and Delhi.