Hate speech: Hindu Rakshak Dal chief Pinky Chaudhary remanded in 14-day judicial custody

New Delhi, September 2

A Delhi Court on Thursday remanded Pinky Chaudhary, president of Hindu Rakshak Dal, to 14-day judicial custody for allegedly raising communal slogans here last month.

Chaudhary was accused of raising communal slogans and inciting the youth to propagate against a particular religion at a rally at Jantar Mantar on August 8.

Metropolitan Magistrate Prayank Nayak sent Chaudhary to jail after Delhi Police produced him before the court on expiry of his one day custodial interrogation in the matter.

The police told the court that the accused was not required for further interrogation and requested to send him to jail.

The accused had surrendered before Delhi Police on August 31.

“No mistreatment has been reported by the accused. Heard. Application perused. Considering the seriousness of the allegations, the application is allowed. Accused persons are remanded to JC for 14 days,” the judge said.

The judge directed the jail authorities to produce the accused before the court concerned on September 16.

Chaudhary had surrendered after a recent Delhi High Court order refusing to grant him any interim protection.

A trial court had earlier dismissed his anticipatory bail application, saying “we are not a Taliban State”.

The court had said that in past such incidents have flared communal tensions leading to riots and loss to life and property.

“We are not Taliban State. Rule of law is the sacrosanct governing principle in our plural and multi cultural society. While the whole of India is celebrating ‘azadi ka amrut mahotsav’ there are some minds still chained with Intolerant and self centric beliefs,” the judge had said.

Delhi Police had on August 10 arrested six people- Ashwani Upadhyay, Vinod Sharma, Deepak Singh, Vineet Bajpai, Preet Singh and Deepak Kumar - in connection with inflammatory sloganeering near Jantar Mantar recently.

On August 11, advocate Ashwani Upadhyay was released on bail. PTI