U P Police files chargesheet against Varun Gandhi for hate speeches

Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), July 15 (ANI): Uttar Pradesh Police filed a chargesheet against Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi at a Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in Pilibhit on Wednesday for his alleged hate speeches in March during campaign for Lok Sabha polls.

"The chargesheet was filed this afternoon by investigating officer Mani Ram Rao in a case registered with Barkhera police station under section 153(A) (promoting enemity on religious grounds), 125 of Representation of the People Act and other relevant sections of the IPC on March 17," state government sources said.

Varun, 29, who was arrested on March 29 by Uttar Pradesh Police, and is currently out on bail.

The Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) state government had granted sanction to the Pilibhit police to file a chargesheet against Varun on July 3.

The Pilibhit administration, after receiving the forensic report from FSL Chandigarh that the CDs of Varun's inflammatory speeches were not tampered with, had sought permission from the state government to file the chargesheet against Varun Gandhi in June.

Cases were registered against Varun on March 17 at the Barkheda police station on the direction of the Election Commission for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches there on March 8. Another FIR was registered against him on March 19 for allegedly delivering another hate speech in the Desh Nagar locality of Pilibhit town on March 7.

The cases were lodged under various Indian Penal Code provisions, including Section 153 (inciting communal feelings), Representation of People's Act and violation of model code of conduct.

The chargesheet in the Desh Nagar locality case is yet to be filed.

Varun was granted bail in two cases relating to alleged hate speeches after his arrest, but was charged under the National Security Act (NSA) and spent three weeks in detention in Pilibhit and Etah District jails till he was granted conditional bail on April 16 by the Supreme Court.

An National Security Advisory Board in Uttar Pradesh held as invalid Varun's detention under the National Security Act on May 8 and On May 14, the Supreme Court directed the state government to immediately drop the charges filed under the NSA against Varun. (ANI)