Breaking- Hate Speech At Delhi Hindu Yuva Vahini Meet- Delhi Police Registers FIR After Supreme Court Nudge

In relation to speeches made by Sudarshan News TV Editor Suresh Chavhanke at the Hindu Yuva Vahini meet held in Delhi in December 2021, the Delhi Police has informed the Supreme Court that a FIR has been registered on 4th May after 'minute verification' of audio and video recordings.The FIR has been registered in Delhi for the offences of Section 153A, 295A, 298 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code.It may be noted that the Supreme Court had last month expressed its dissatisfaction at the affidavit filed by Delhi Police which stated that the said speeches didn't amount to hate speech against any particular community. The Court had granted two weeks' time to the ASG to seek instructions and file a "better affidavit" by May 4.An additional affidavit has now been filed through Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East District, New Delhi, submitting that the FIR has been registered after analysing all the links given in the complaint and other materials available in public domain, including a video of the programme on YouTube channel. The submissions have been made in a PIL filed by journalist Qurban Ali and Senior Advocate Anjana Prakash (former judge of the Patna High Court) seeking criminal action against alleged anti-Muslim hate speeches made at the Dharam Sansad and the Hindu Yuva Vahini meets held at Haridwar and Delhi respectively in December.While denying all allegations made in the Petition, the Delhi Police has sought court's leave to file a further detailed affidavit/ counter affidavit in the case.What was said by Delhi Police In its Earlier affidavit?In its earlier affidavit, the Police had said that based on the complaints filed by several individuals against the the speech of Chavhanke at the event, it conducted an "in-depth investigation" into the video clips of the speeches, and found that no words against any particular community were used."In-depth investigation of the video and other material found that no hate speech was given against any community. Therefore, after investigation and evaluation of the purported video clip, it was concluded that the alleged speech contained no hate speech against a particular community," the Delhi Police stated in its counter-affidavit filed in response to a PIL seeking criminal law action against the speakers at the Haridwar Dharam Sansad and the Hindu Yuva Vahini event."After a deep inquiry and evaluation of the contents of the video, the police did not find any substance in the videos as per the allegations levelled by the complainants. In the video clip of the Delhi incident, there is no utterance against any particular community. Hence, after inquiry and after evaluation of the alleged video clip, it was concluded that the alleged hate speech did not disclose any hate words against a particular community as alleged", the Police affidavit stated. Therefore, the Police said that it has closed the complaints, as it was concluded that no cognizable offence was made out requiring police action.The affidavit filed by Esha Pandey IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South East Delhi, further stated that "none of the words which were spoken during the events in any manner whatsoever overtly or expressly described Indian Muslims as usurpers of territory, and as predators of land, livelihood and of Hindu women and nothing was said which could create an environment of paranoia amongst any religion".There is no use of such words which mean or could be interpreted as "open calls of genocide of Muslims". It is further stated that that persons gathered at the Yuva Vahini meet "with the motive to save the ethics of their community".Case Title: Qurban Ali & Ors vs Union of India & Ors

Breaking- Hate Speech At Delhi Hindu Yuva Vahini Meet- Delhi Police Registers FIR After Supreme Court Nudge

Srishti Ojha

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