Delhi court orders probe into alleged 2014 hate speech by Asaduddin Owaisi
Delhi’s Karkardooma court on Tuesday ordered further investigation in an FIR filed against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi in the alleged hate speech delivered by him in 2014.
The FIR filed against Owaisi was based on a complaint, which claimed that an article published online promoted enmity between communities.
“No efforts have been made by the police with respect to the venue of the alleged hate speech or to inquire about any person, who was present in audience or otherwise at the time of delivery of his speech. It is also expected from the police to take all the available provisions in order to find about the video on the basis of which the present case came to be filed,” the court said.
The Court’s direction came after Ajay Gautam, the main complainant filed a protest petition against the Delhi police’s closure report. The complainant, in his petition, alleged that during the last three years, police never came to inquire or record a statement of him. He also claimed that police never conducted an investigation against the accused because of his high political influence.
The Delhi police had last year filed a closure or un-trace report in the FIR. In its closer report, the police stated that nothing could be found about the source or authenticity of the derogatory video and as a result of which it was not possible to collect any evidence against the proof warranting the filing of challan against him.
Metropolitan Magistrate Prayank Nayak issued direction on the protest plea and said that the ACP concerned will personally supervise the investigation so as to avoid any further delay in this matter.
The FIR against Owaisi was registered under Indian Penal Court sections of 120B (Criminal conspiracy), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) in addition with sections 66A, 66F and 67 of Information Technology act.
The next hearing in the matter is likely to take place on March 26.
