In a significant development, the Rajasthan High Court has ordered Yoga guru Baba Ramdev to appear before the investigating officer in a hate speech case on October 5, 2023. The court has also extended the interim stay on his arrest, which was granted to him on April 13, until October 16, providing temporary relief in a case that has garnered substantial attention.
The bench, presided over by Justice Kuldeep Mathur, issued this directive during a hearing. Additionally, Ramdev has been instructed to make himself available for questioning as and when summoned by the investigating officer. The government advocate has been tasked with ensuring the case diary is available for the court’s review on the next hearing date, scheduled for October 16.
Senior advocate Dhirendra Singh Daspa appeared on behalf of Baba Ramdev during the proceedings.
The case stems from alleged anti-Muslim remarks made by Baba Ramdev during a religious event in Rajasthan’s Barmer on February 2. A video of his speech, in which he purportedly accused Muslims of “terrorist acts” and “abducting Hindu women,” circulated widely on social media.
Subsequently, on February 5, the Barmer police lodged an FIR against Ramdev following a complaint filed by Pathai Khan, a resident of Dhanau in Chohtan. Khan alleged that Ramdev’s statements were intended to incite religious sentiments among Muslims and create enmity and hatred towards the Muslim community. The FIR cited violations of sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on religious grounds), 295A (malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), and 298 (uttering words with the intent to wound religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Ramdev’s remarks had triggered protests among Muslims in Barmer, who accused him of disrupting communal harmony in the border district. Community members even submitted a memorandum to the district collector, urging action against the yoga guru.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the complainant, Pathai Khan, later claimed that he had no knowledge of the complaint against Ramdev. He asserted that his lawyer had misled him into signing the complaint while they were discussing an unrelated land dispute case. Khan, who is illiterate, expressed his desire to withdraw the complaint. He had also submitted a memorandum to the district collector and the superintendent of police (SP) to this effect.
Nevertheless, the then Barmer SP, Deepak Bhargav, clarified that once an FIR is lodged, it cannot be withdrawn, and the police would proceed according to the complaint.
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