UP govt sanctions Azam’s prosecution

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government has given its sanction to prosecute senior Samajwadi Party leader and former state minister Azam Khan for allegedly making objectionable remarks against CRPF personnel last year.

“The prosecution sanction has been given by the state government in the matter. Now a chargesheet will be filed against Azam Khan under IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), which requires prior sanction,” Rampur additional superintendent of police Sudha Singh told reporters.

The case against Azam was lodged under sections 153 A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code. Each of the two penal offences entails a jail term of up to three years or fine or both on conviction under it.

The FIR against Khan was lodged on the complaint of former BJP MLA Shiv Bahadur Saxena’s son Akash Saxena for his statement in June last year which allegedly said, “Women terrorists were chopping off the private parts of the security personnel to send across a strong message which should leave the entire country ashamed.”

The reference was to a Maoist attack on CRPF personnel in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh in April 2017 in which 25 CRPF personnel had been killed.

The outlaws had allegedly mutilated the victims’ bodies.Section 153 A defines the offence of “promoting enmity between different groups” on various grounds, including religion and doing acts prejudicial to the communal harmony.