Hate speech complaint against Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh: Delhi Court directs Crime Branch to expedite inquiry, submit report by Feb 26

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja of the Rouse Avenue Court Complex today granted the Delhi Police Crime Branch 15 days to conclude its inquiry in Brinda Karat's hate speech complaint against BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh.

The Court has directed the Crime Branch to either register an FIR if cognizable offences are made out, or submit its action taken report before the next date of hearing.

Earlier this month, the Court had sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the DCP, New Delhi, pursuant to an application filed by CPI(M) leaders Brinda Karat and KM Tiwari under Section 156(3) CrPC.

Karat and Tiwar had sought a direction to the Parliament Street Police Station to register an FIR against Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma for the commission of offences under Sections 153A/153B/295A/298/504/506 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The DCP, New Delhi today informed the Court that the complaint was being dealt by Special Investigation Unit of the Crime Branch and the same is being monitored by Special Commissioner of Police (Crime).

In its status report filed to the Court, Crime Branch stated that the investigation with respect to the incidents of shooting was at an initial stage and thus sought eight weeks time to conclude the same.

Stating that the matter was sensitive, the Court directed the Crime Branch to expedite the process and conclude its inquiry into the complaint within 15 days.

In the application filed before the Court, the applicants had stated that Anurag Thakur, during a rally in Rithala in Delhi, raised chants of “Desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalon ko” (Shoot the traitors) with reference to those taking part in peaceful protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.

It was further stated that Parvesh Singh Sahib, on the other hand, gave an interview to ANI on Janaury 28, wherein he could be seen making false, provocative and communal statements against the Shaheen Bagh protestors.

His statement was as follows:

“ye log gharon me ghusenge, aapki behen betiyon ko uthaenge aur unko rape karenge, unko marenge. Isliye aaj samay hai. Kal Modi Ji nahi aaenge bachane..kal Amit Shah nahi aaenge bachane.. [These people will enter your house and rape and kill your your sisters and daughters. Tomorrow (Prime Minister) Modi and (Home Minister) Amit Shah will not come to save you]”.

Verma is also reported to have made a statement that if BJP was elected in Delhi, Shaheen Bagh would be "cleared" within an hour.

It is thus the applicants' case that these statements incited communal enimity and led to multiple incidents of violence against protestors at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Milia Islamia University.

The applicants were represented by Advocates Tara Narula, Adit Pujari, Nupur Aggarwal, Chaitanya Sundriyal and Aparajita Sinha.

The matter will be heard next on February 26.