SC grants 3 months interim bail to Jitendra Tyagi in hate speech case
May 17, 2022
New Delhi [India], May 17 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted three months of interim bail to Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, in connection with the investigation into the hate speeches at the Hardiwar Dharam Sansad held in December last year.
A bench headed by Justice Ajay Rastogi granting interim bail to Tyagi on medical grounds said he has to give an undertaking that he would not indulge in hate speech and not give any statement to electronic or digital or social media.
It asked Tyagi's counsel senior advocate Vikas Singh to advice his client not to indulge in hate speeches and harmony has to be maintained in the society.
The counsel appearing for the Uttarakhand government submitted that the maximum punishment for the offence under which Tyagi was booked has three years of punishment.
The moment Tyagi comes out on bail he should not make a statement on hate speech again, the advocate said. "We have to maintain communal harmony at all costs. If he makes hate speech his bail should be cancelled automatically without notice. As regards his medical condition is concerned, it is stable. He has some cardiac problems," the counsel told the bench.
Last week, the top court issued notice to the Uttarakhand government on the plea of Tyagi against the High Court order rejecting his bail.
While hearing the bail plea the bench had observed that they are "spoiling the whole atmosphere".
"Before they ask to sensitise others they have to sensitise themselves first. They are not sensitised. This is something which is spoiling the whole atmosphere," the bench had said while referring to the controversial Haridwar Dharam Sansad event.
Tyagi, who was once the chief of UP Shia Waqf Board before accepting Hindusim, had challenged the March 8 order of the Uttarakhand High Court which denied him bail.
Tyagi was arrested on January 13 in a case registered for offences under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence) and 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person) of the Indian Penal Code.
The High Court had refused him bail observing that he had made derogatory remarks.
