Salman Azhari arrested for hate speech sent to one day police custody

Junagadh: A court in Gujarat's Junagadh town on Tuesday sent Mumbai-based Islamic preacher Mufti Salman Azhari to one-day police remand in connection with a "hate speech" case registered against him here.

The Junagadh police, probing the case, sought 10-day custody of Azhari when he was produced before the court after being arrested by Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Mumbai on Sunday and brought to the state on a transit remand.

However, Chief Judicial Magistrate SA Pathan remanded the preacher in police custody till 4 pm on Wednesday.

This comes even as one more FIR was registered at Samakhiari in Kutch district against Azhari in a similar "hate speech" case.

Azhari had allegedly delivered an inflammatory speech at a religious event in Junagadh on January 31 night. He had given a similar speech the same day in Samakhiari in Kutch district.

While seeking 10-day remand of Azhari and two co-accused in the case, the prosecution told the court they needed time to probe source of funds for the event in Junagadh and activities of trusts headed by him, among other issues, defence lawyer Sakil Sheikh told media persons.

An FIR was registered against the Islamic preacher and two organisers of the event in Junagadh after a video of his alleged inflammatory speech went viral on social media.

Azhari and local event organizers Mohammad Yousuf Malek and Azim Habib Odedara were booked under Indian Penal Code sections 153B (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505 (2) (making statements conducive to public mischief), a police official said earlier.

Malek and Odedara were arrested on Saturday, while Azhari was apprehended the next day.

As per police officials, the organisers had taken permission from police for the gathering stating that Azhari will speak about religion and spread awareness on de-addiction.

Instead, he made an inflammatory speech at the gathering, they added.