Hearing in former Mau MLA Ansari's hate speech case adjourned till Thursday

Mau (UP), Jun 24 (PTI) A court here heard the appeal of former Mau MLA Abbas Ansari against his conviction in a hate speech case on Tuesday, and adjourned the matter for June 26.

During the previous hearing on June 22, Additional District Government Counsel (Criminal) Rajesh Kumar Pandey had sought time to file objections on behalf of the state, which the court granted. The court had also ordered re-issuance of a notice to complainant Gangaram Bind and extended Ansari's interim bail, granted by the chief judicial magistrate (CJM), until the next date.

"The court on Tuesday commenced hearing on the bail application and the petition to suspend the conviction and sentence, with Abbas Ansari personally appearing before the judge. The court set the next hearing on June 26," Ansari's advocate Daroga Singh said.

According to the prosecution, during a public meeting at Paharpur ground, under the City Kotwali police station area, on March 3, 2022, amidst the assembly elections, Ansari allegedly threatened the Mau administration from the stage, saying he would "settle scores" after the elections. An FIR was registered in this regard based on a complaint by sub-inspector Gangaram Bind.

A charge-sheet was filed against Abbas Ansari, his brother Umar Ansari, and election agent Mansoor Ansari under relevant sections, including 506 (criminal intimidation), of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Chief Judicial Magistrate's court had convicted the accused. Abbas Ansari was sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of Rs 11,000, following which the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) MLA from Mau was stripped of his membership of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Abbas Ansari subsequently filed an appeal against this conviction in the special court, which was heard on Tuesday. PTI COR CDN MNK MNK