Haridwar hate speech: Police yet to send notice to 3 accused

DEHRADUN: Police are yet to send notice to three named accused in the hate speech incident at Dharm Sansad held in Haridwar.

Police said they were “gathering more evidence by verifying videos of the event” after which they will “send notice to accused”.

“The probe in the case is going on with police gathering more evidence against accused by verifying videos of speeches made by them during the event. Police haven’t yet send notice to the three named accused in the case to record their statements,” said inspector Rakendra Kataith, station house officer of Haridwar Kotwali police station where the case was registered on December 23. When questioned on the delay in sending notice to the accused, Kathait said, “Notice will soon be sent to them in the coming days as probe unfolds.”

Police had registered a case under section 153 (a) of IPC on December 23 against Jitendra Narayan Tyagi (formerly Waseem Rizwi) and other unidentified accused at Haridwar Kotwali police station after the videos of the three day event named Dharma Sansad held from December 17-19, caused massive furor on the social media as the participating seers called for violence against minorities.

Later on December 25, police added names of two more accused - Annapurna Maa and general secretary of Hindu Mahasabha Dharamdas Maharaj,

both from Haridwar. The case is being investigated by a sub-inspector rank police officer of Kotwali police station.

State director general of police Ashok Kumar, while assuring all possible legal action against the accused, had said, “Such events and hate speeches won’t be tolerated at all.”