Decide on FIRs against Union Minister Anurag Thakur, other leaders for 'hate speech' in 3 months, SC tells Delhi HC

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 17

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Delhi High Court to decide in three months a petition seeking registration of FIRs against Union Minister Anurag Thakur, BJP leaders Parvesh Verma, Kapil Mishra and Abhay Verma for their “hate speech”, which allegedly incited riots in Delhi last year.

Delhi riots

Advertisement

• Petitioner has sought registration of FIRs over ‘hate speech that incited Delhi riots’
• Has named Union Minister Anurag Thakur, BJP leaders Parvesh Verma, Kapil Mishra
• The FIRs have been sought on the basis of video evidence of public utterances

On behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves told a Bench led by Justice L Nageswara Rao that the victims were losing hope as the matter was hanging fire in the HC, despite the top court’s direction for time-bound disposal of their plea.

They have demanded registration of FIRs against the BJP leaders on the basis of video evidence of public utterances. Pointing out that the top court had in March 2020 asked the high court to decide it as soon as possible, Gonsalves submitted that the delay in deciding the cases was “wholly unjustifiable”.

As he urged the Bench to decide the issue, the Bench said, “We can’t do anything once the matter is sent back to the high court. We can only request the high court to dispose of it expeditiously, preferably within three months.”