'Derogatory' Remarks On Muslim Women: Local Court Grants Bail To Yati Narsinghanand

The Uttarakhand Court (at Haridwar) today granted bail to Yati Narsinghanand, who heads the powerful Dasna Devi temple in Uttar Pradesh, in a case registered against him for his alleged offensive and derogatory remarks on Muslim women.The Additional District and Sessions Judge Bharat Bhushan Pandey today ordered to release him on bail on his plea moved seeking bail assailing the order of the CJM Court, which had denied him bail on January 19.Derogatory remarks against Muslim womenIn the case at hand, it has been alleged that Narsinghanand had made objectionable/derogatory and indecent comments on social media, that were directed towards Muslim women.The case against him has been registered under Sections 295A and 509 of the Indian Penal Code alleging that in two of his videos, which were posted on Twitter and YouTube, he was seen making objectionable/derogatory remarks towards Muslim women.Allegedly, he was seen as saying that the Muslims have captured everything, that they have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), that they have captured the RSS and for the service of Islam, their women can act as the mistresses of anyone and that they (women) are their greatest strength.Pursuant to the registration of the FIR, he has been under Judicial Custody since January 16, 2022, and thereafter, he moved his bail plea before the Haridwar Court (the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Haridwar).Earlier, CJM Mukesh Arya had denied him bail as after perused the documents and FIR filed by the prosecution, he had observed thus:"Despite being issued a Section 41A CrPC notice in the past, he (Narsinghanand) is repeatedly making comments to incite communal passions and spoiling religious harmony/atmosphere through social media and there is a strong possibility of serious crimes being committed in the area."Further, noting that the offense allegedly committed by the accused is of serious nature, the CJM's court also observed that there is an allegation against him of making objectionable/derogatory remarks against Muslim women on social media, Twitter, and YouTube.Against this backdrop, the Court rejected his bail application. Against this bail refusal order, he had moved the Sessions Court. Now today, after hearing the arguments of the Counsel for Narsinghananad, Narayan Har Gupta, the Additional District and Sessions Judge Bharat Bhushan Pandey ordered to release him on bail.Haridwar Dharam Sansad CaseOn February 7, the Haridwar Sessions Court had granted him bail in a case registered against him for his alleged 'Hate Speech' delivered at the Haridwar Dharm Sansad which took place in December 2021.The Additional District and Sessions Judge Bharat Bhushan Pandey had granted him bail as it noted the offences alleged to have been committed by Yati Narsinghanand are punishable up to 3 years of imprisonment.The FIR in the caseEssentially, an FIR had been registered against Waseem Rizvi aka Jitendra Narayan Tyagi alleging that during a religious meet, in the name of Dharma Sansad (organized in December 2021) Tyagi and many others had made objectionable and provocative statements against Prophet Mohammad and the religion of Islam.It was further alleged in the FIR that due to the alleged hate speech delivered by them, the religious sentiments of the informant (Gulbahar Khan) and millions of people who believe in Islam have been hurt.In pursuance to the registration of FIR, Yati Narsinghanand has been booked under Section 153A and 295A IPC.

'Derogatory' Remarks On Muslim Women: Local Court Grants Bail To Yati Narsinghanand

Sparsh Upadhyay

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