UP Court Acquits SP Leader Azam Khan In Hate Speech Case Which Led To His Disqualification As An MLA

A Court in Uttar Pradesh's Rampur district today ACQUITTED Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan in the 2019 hate speech case which led to his disqualification, last year. 

With this, Additional District and Sessions Judge Amitveer Singh set aside an October 2022 order passed by a special MP/MLA court in Rampur convicting and sentencing him to three years in jail. He was found guilty of making provocative remarks against Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath and the then DM of Rampur, Aunjaneya K. Singh during the Lok Sabha Elections 2019.

He has been convicted under Sections 153a (promoting enmity between two groups), 505 (statement conducing to public mischief) of IPC and section 125 of the Representation of People Act 1951. An FIR was lodged against him after the returning officer had taken took cognizance of the matter after a complaint was made to him in this regard.

Subsequent to his conviction in the case, Khan was disqualified as a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly as per the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, resulting in a by-poll, which was won by the BJP’s Akash Saxena last year.