Hate speech case: Kalicharan Maharaj sent in judicial custody

A court here on Thursday remanded religious leader Kalicharan Maharaj, arrested for allegedly making inflammatory speeches during an event in the city, in judicial custody.

He was produced in the court after his one-day police custody got over. Judicial Magistrate (First Class) M A Shaikh remanded him in judicial custody. The police did not press for more custody. A bail application was also filed, and it would be heard on Friday, said his lawyer Amol Dange. Pune Police had arrested Kalicharan alias Abhijit Sarag from Raipur.

A case has been registered against Kalicharan Maharaj, right-wing leader Milind Ekbote, Captain (retired) Digendra Kumar and others at Khadak police station here. They are accused of making inflammatory speeches and hurting religious sentiments during 'Shiv Pratap Din' program organised by Ekbote-led Hindu Aghadi outfit on December 19, 2021, to celebrate the killing of Adilshahi commander Afzal Khan by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1659.

The FIR was registered under IPC sections 295 (A) (outraging religious feelings), 298 (deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings) and 505 (2) (false statement, rumour made in place of worship, etc, with intent to create enmity). As per the FIR, all the accused made speeches with an intention to hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims and Christians and to create a communal rift. Earlier, Kalicharan Maharaj had been arrested by Raipur police in Chhattisgarh for making derogatory comments about Mahatma Gandhi.