Haridwar court acquits Jitendra Tyagi in 2021 hate speech case
In December 2021, during a three-day Dharam Sansad organised at Niketan Ashram at Khadkhadi in Haridwar, some seers delivered alleged hate speeches against the Muslim community
Dehradun: A Haridwar court has acquitted Jitendra Tyagi alias Wasim Rizvi in the 2021 Dharam Sansad hate speech case on grounds of “benefit of doubt”.
The court of chief judicial magistrate (CJM) Avinash Kumar Srivastava acquitted Tyagi on April 16.
In December 2021, during a three-day Dharam Sansad organised at Niketan Ashram at Khadkhadi in Haridwar, some seers delivered alleged hate speeches against the Muslim community and the videos of them went viral on social media.
The speeches drew widespread criticism including the Haridwar-based apex body of akhadas- Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad saying “Sanatan Dharma never endorses violence against other religions and always advocates love and peace.”
A case was registered against Tyagi under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 298 (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Kotwali police station in Haridwar on January 1, 2022.
Tyagi was arrested on January 13, 2022, from Narsain area in Haridwar on Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border in connection with the FIR lodged against him. He was released on bail on May 19, 2022.
Wasim Rizvi, a former chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board, converted to Hinduism on December 6, 2021.