DEHRADUN: No arrests have been made so far in connection with the Haridwar hate speech incident even though the state police have registered a case. When contacted, police officials said an investigation is already on. “A case has been registered and the investigation is on. We can’t make arrests right away. Procedure will be followed as per the law,” said a senior police official.
However, legal experts said arrests can be made in such cases. Dr Kartikey Hari Gupta, a law practitioner in the Supreme Court and the Uttarakhand HC, said: “Arrests can be made in the case where section 153 A of the IPC has sheen slapped though the police have to serve a notice of appearance. And if the official is not satisfied, arrests can be made on several grounds.”
After video clips of the ‘Dharma Sansad’ in Haridwar created an outrage, the Uttarakhand Police registered a case under Section 153 A (promoting enmity) of the IPC on December 23. The clips showed participants at the event making anti-minority comments and calling for violence. Avatar Singh Rawat, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, said, “The police can make arrests in the matter. It’s just that they are no doing it but the law permits it with conditions.”
Meanwhile, Yati Narsinghananda, convener of the ‘Dharma Sansad’ said he is not denying what he said. “I do not deny what I said in the Sansad and that is the truth of these times. Such congregations have happened in the past too but this time it is due to the upcoming polls that saints are being defamed.”
TMC, AIMIM leaders lodge complaints
Saket Gokhale of TMC and Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM have filed separate complaints at Jwalapur police station in Haridwar over the hate speech.