Owaisi hate speech case: Court orders senior Delhi cop to appear before it with detailed report

A Delhi court on Tuesday directed a senior official of the Delhi Police to appear before it along with a detailed report of the investigation carried out by them against All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi in connection with an alleged hate speech delivered by him in 2014.

Metropolitan Magistrate Priyank Nayak after directing the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to be present in person with a detailed report on the investigation, posted the matter for hearing on June 29.

During the previous hearing, Judge Nayak ordered further investigation in an FIR filed against the AIMIM chief.

This order from the court came after the main complainant Ajay Gautam filed a protest petition against the Delhi police's closure report in the case.

The complainant, in his petition filed last year, alleged that during the last 3 years, police never came to inquire or record the statement of the applicant, nor did they conduct any investigation against the accused because of his "high political influence."

The Delhi police had last year filed a closure report in the said FIR. In its report, the police stated that nothing could be found about the source or authenticity of the derogatory video and as a result of which it was not possible to collect any evidence or proof against for filing a challan against Owaisi.

After the directions of the court, the Delhi Police had registered an FIR in 2015 against Owaisi for promoting enmity among religious groups among other relevant sections of the law in connection with an alleged hate speech delivered by Owaisi in 2014.

The FIR against Owaisi was registered under sections 120B (Criminal conspiracy), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with sections 66A, 66F and 67 of Information Technology act.