Earlier Delhi Police in an affidavit said there was no evidence of hate speech and nothing was said at Dharam Sansad that could be interpreted as an open call for genocide of Muslims.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Probe into the alleged hate speeches made at Delhi’s Dharam Sansad in December 2021 is “substantially complete” and the final report in the case will be filed soon, Delhi Police have said in an affidavit submitted in the Supreme Court on Monday.
The affidavit also maintained that “investigation of the case is being conducted fairly and without any bias,” media reports said.
On January 13, the apex court directed the investigating officer in the case to place on record the steps which have been taken to pursue the investigation since the event took place on December 19, 2021.
Responding to the contempt case filed by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi accusing Delhi Police of deliberately trying to protect the accused in the case, Delhi Police has said in the affidavit that “investigation of the case is being conducted fairly and without any bias.”
Delhi Police have said they have examined the spokesperson of Delhi BJP, the editor-in-chief of Sudarshan News, members of Hindu Yuva Vahini and others so far. It added that the forensic science laboratory is scheduled to compare in March Sudarshan News editor’s specimen voice sample with the video from YouTube.
The affidavit said that Vikram Bidhuri, spokesperson of Delhi State BJP — who was one of the participants has been examined — and Suresh Chavhanke, editor-in-chief Sudarshan News, was examined in the case on November 1, 2022, and “he was bound down u/s 41A CrPC”. It added that the alleged hate speech video had been examined and the transcript has been prepared.
“Forensic Science Laboratory, Delhi has fixed 17.03.2023 for the recording of specimen voice sample of Suresh Chavanke. Thereafter his specimen voice recording will be compared with the video/audio downloaded from YouTube…..effort is being made to obtain the details of the video of the speech made during the event and uploaded on YouTube, through the process of MLAT”, said the affidavit.
Reprimanded by the Supreme Court, Delhi Police had on May 7 informed the apex court that it has registered a hate speech case relating to the Delhi “Dharam Sansad”.
According to the petition filed in the SC, Sudarshan News TV Chief Editor Suresh Chavhanke had allegedly urged people to take an oath and had said: “Hindu rashtra ke liye ladenge, marenge aur zarurat padi toh maaarenge” (We all pledge to make this country a Hindu nation. We will fight for it, die for it and, if needed, also kill for it).”
Police had said that an FIR has been lodged after examining the material, and that action will be taken according to the law.
In the earlier affidavit, the Delhi Police had said it was not hate speech against any particular community. The police had said that there was no use of such words which could be interpreted as an open call for the genocide of Muslims.
The Delhi Police had also told the Supreme Court in its controversial affidavit that the event and speeches in Delhi were about empowering one’s religion and facing evils that could endanger its existence.
