Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan Acquitted In 2019 Hate Speech Case

A district and sessions court in Uttar Pradesh (UP)'s Rampur on Wednesday (24 May) acquitted senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in a hate speech case.

He had been convicted on 27 October 2022 by the MP/MLA court and sentenced to three years in prison, leading to the loss of his assembly seat.

However, Khan appealed against his conviction, and the district judge rendered the final verdict on Wednesday, acquitting him of all charges.

The decision came in the form of a 70-page order, primarily referring to various judgements delivered by the Supreme Court in similar cases.

While Khan was granted relief, his seat cannot be restored as he was convicted in another case by a Moradabad court earlier this year.

The case was initially filed against Khan on 9 April 2019 at Milak Kotwali in Rampur for delivering a provocative speech against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, some top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, and IAS officer Aunjaneya Kumar Singh, the then DM.

The charge sheet accused him of violating IPC Sections 153-A (promoting enmity) and 505-1 (public mischief), along with 125 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.

Since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh, in 2017, Khan has had to face a staggering total of 87 cases.

The charges against him include a wide range of offences, such as corruption, theft, and land grab.