SP leader Azam Khan gets 3-yr jail term for hate speech against Yogi Adityanath
Soon after the quantum of sentence was pronounced, the SP leader was, however, granted bail and a week to appeal against the order in a higher court.
Veteran Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan was Thursday convicted by a Rampur court in a hate speech case. Khan was sentenced to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs 25,000 in the case, advocate Ajay Tiwari was quoted as saying by PTI.
The case was registered against Khan in Rampur in April 2019 for levelling serious allegations against administrative officials posted in Rampur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during an election meeting.
Soon after the quantum of sentence was pronounced, the SP leader was, however, granted bail and a week to appeal against the order in a higher court.
The Special MP/MLA court of Rampur found Khan guilty under Section 153-A (inciting religious feelings), 505-A (giving false statement intended to create feelings of enmity, hatred or animosity between different communities) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 125 (promoting animosity between different classes in connection with elections) of the Representation of the People Act.
Emerging out of the court after the verdict, Khan told reporters, “I have firm belief in justice.”
Azam Khan was released earlier this year after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail. He is facing nearly 90 cases, including that of corruption and theft.
