M A I N   N E W S

“Shahi Imam to be charge-sheeted”

New Delhi, February 16
Charge sheet against former Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Syed Abdullah Bukhari in a sedition case for allegedly making anti-national speech will be filed soon as investigation has been completed, the Delhi High Court was informed today.

Delhi Government counsel Mukta Gupta told a bench headed by Justice Usha Mehra that opinion of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K.K. Sud had already been obtained in this regard after the police completed the probe.

Mr Sud was also present in the court during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking investigation into the sedition cases against Abdullah Bukhari and his son and present Imam Ahmed Bukhari for their alleged anti-national speeches last year. The Bench also comprising Mr Justice K. Ramamoorthy disposed of the PIL filed by an NGO, Society for Securing Justice after the statement of the government counsel.

The government counsel on previous dates of hearing had stated that a case under Section 124-A (sedition) had been registered against Abdullah Bukhari with the Kamla Market police station for his alleged anti-national speech in Ram Leela grounds on April 21 last year.

Similarly an FIR under the same section was registered against Ahmed Bukhari with the Jama Masjid Police Station, the government counsel had said.

The PIL alleged that Abdullah Bukhari in his speech had declared himself as an ISI agent and dared the government to arrest him.

The police had registered the cases following filing of the PIL, which alleged that Abdullah Bukhari was promoting disharmony in the society and attempted to instigate a section to wage war against the country.

The petitioner had sought registration of a case under Section 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against the country), Section 124 (sedition), Section 153 (provocation for causing riots) and Section 153-a (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion) against Abdullah Bukhari.

Society alleged that the senior Imam in his speech had attacked the policy of secularism and asserted that he would go to Ayodhya to lay the foundation of Babri Masjid.

Bukhari in his recent interview to a website again had “proclaimed” himself as an ISI agent and dared the government to arrest him, Srivastava alleged. PTI