The Supreme Court on Monday, 29 August, directed Jitendra Narayan Tyagi formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, an accused in the Haridwar Dharma Sansad case for making inflammatory speeches against Muslims, to surrender by 2 September.
The bail previously granted for medical reasons was not extended by a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and B V Nagarathna, who also indicated they will review Tyagi’s regular bail request on September 9th.
“There is no reason to give him relief. So many cases are pending against him. Ask him to surrender,” the bench told Tyagi’s lawyer.
On May 17, the Supreme Court granted temporary release to Tyagi for three months based on medical grounds and ordered him to sign an agreement promising not to use hate speech or make any statements on electronic, digital, or social media.
Tyagi had approached the top court after the Uttarakhand High Court refused his bail application in March this year.
On January 2 of this year, Nadeem Ali, a resident of Jwalapur Haridwar, filed a complaint at Haridwar Kotwali, leading to the filing of the case against him and others.
In December last year, Hindu religious leaders and Hindutva organisations came together at Haridwar for a three-day anti-Muslim hate conclave where speakers called for, purchasing arms and ammunition, killing Muslims and attacking their places of worship.
A series of videos surfaced online showing prominent Hindu priests including the infamous priest Yati Narsighanad Saraswati giving genocidal hate speeches targeting Muslims.
On Ali’s complaint, Narsindhanand Giri, Sagar Sindhu Maharaj, Dharamdas Maharaj, Parmanand Maharaj, Sadhvi Annapurna, Swami Anand Swaroop, Ashwani Upadhyay, Suresh Chavan along with Swami Prabodhanand Giri, Jitendra Narayan were booked under various sections of the IPC for delivering hate speeches in the name of religion at the conclave.
