SC asks police details of steps taken in Delhi hate speech

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Delhi police to tell within three weeks about the preventive steps taken against the accused in a case of hate speech made during a Dharm Sansad in December 2021.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala passed the order even as the police claimed the investigation in the matter was substantially over.

Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Delhi police, told the court that the charge sheet in the matter was about to be filed in court.

Appearing for petitioner Tushar Gandhi, advocate Shadan Farasat said the Delhi police should expedite the examination of the voice sample of Sudarshan News chairman-cum-managing director and Editor-in-Chief Suresh Chavhanke, which is fixed for March 17.

He also said those identified as accused should not be allowed to participate in such events in future as part of preventive steps.

In an affidavit, the police had earlier told the court that its investigation into the case has been going on "fairly and without any bias".

A senior officer had informed that the police had already examined Chavhanke on November 1, 2022. He has been bound down under Section 41 A CrPC.

In its written reply, the police also said the forensic science laboratory, Delhi, has fixed March 17, 2023, as the date for taking the voice specimen of Chavhanke to compare it with the downloaded video from YouTube.

"A draft 'Final Report' has been prepared and was sent to prosecution branch for scrutiny. However, some points have been raised by the public prosecutor and investigation on those points is being conducted," it said, naming several people, including organisers, who have been questioned in the case.

The police also informed the court that it had examined Sachin Vashisht, general secretary of Hindu Yavavahini, who organised the event at Banarsidas Chandiwala Auditorium at Okhla.

It said the police also examined Vikram Bidhuri, Delhi BJP spokesperson; Rajiv Kumar, Delhi Pradesh president of Hindu Yavavahini, who booked the auditorium; Shiv Kumar Das, general secretary of Hindu Yavavahini who participated in the meeting; and Ashutosh Sharma who attended the meeting and uploaded the video on YouTube in the channel named as 'Hishant Media'; besides several others.