Delhi HC seeks police response on Asif Iqbal's plea
Justice Sanjeev Narula issued notice to Delhi Police on the plea and posted the hearing for October 30 along with similar pleas filed by Sharjeel Imam and other co-accused in the case. 'Issue notice. Club with others,' the court said.
Tanha and others were booked by New Friends Colony Police Station under provisions of the IPC, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP) and Arms Act. The trial court in March framed charges, observing Imam's December 13, 2019 speech near the Jamia University was a 'venomous', 'pitted one religion against another' and was 'indeed a hate speech'. It framed charges against Tanha, Imam and nine others, saying 'accused Ashu Khan, Chandan Kumar and Aasif Iqbal Tanha committed abetment by prior conspiracy as well as by instigating violent mob activity at the spot, for which penal provision of Section 109 (abetment) of the IPC is justifiably invoked against them'.
Section 109 deals with abetment of an offence and attracting the same punishment given to the offender. The case stems from 2019-2020 protests at Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh following passage of Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament on December 11, 2019.
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