Bulandshahr gangrape: SC transfers plea seeking FIR against Azam Khan to constitution bench

The Supreme Court on Thursday transferred the plea seeking FIR against former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his controversial statement over the Bulandshahr gangrape case to a five-judge constitution bench.

The apex court referred questions like whether a public functionary or a minister can claim freedom of speech while airing views on a sensitive matter which is under investigation.

The court was hearing a plea filed by a man, whose wife and daughter were allegedly gang-raped in July last year on a highway near Bulandshahr.

The petitioner moved the court seeking transfer of the case to Delhi and lodging of an FIR against Khan for his controversial statement that the gang-rape case was a "political conspiracy".

The incident had happened on July 29, 2016 when a group of robbers stopped the car of a Noida-based family and sexually assaulted a woman and her daughter at gun-point.

However, Khan on December 15 last year, tendered an "unconditional apology" for the remark, which the apex court had accepted.