New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to quash an FIR registered against gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s son Umar Ansari in Uttar Pradesh, in a hate speech case in connection with the 2022 state assembly poll campaign.
A bench comprising justices Hrishikesh Roy and Pankaj Mithal mentioned that the apex court will not quash the FIR in a case where the high court has refused to grant relief to him. The bench said, “you will have to face the trial….”.
Umar Ansari along with his MLA brother Abbas Ansari are facing criminal prosecution in the hate speech case. Umar Ansari is accused of sharing the dais with his brother in a rally in Mau district where the latter allegedly threatened government officials with payback.
In 2022, Abbas Ansari won the Mau Sadar seat in Uttar Pradesh assembly polls as a candidate of the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP)-Samajwadi Party alliance. Abbas Ansari had allegedly said that none of the government officials would be transferred in the first six months as he had to first settle scores with them.
Umar Ansari’s counsel had submitted that the alleged remark was not made by his client. But, the apex court stated that its order will not come in the way when courts consider the plea during the subsequent trial and other proceedings. It may be mentioned here that Umar had moved the apex court challenging the high court order declining to quash the case against him. The high court had also dismissed the plea of Abbas Ansari seeking quashing of the criminal proceedings in the case.
An FIR had been lodged against the two brothers, Umar Ansari and Abbas and a chargesheet had also been filed in this connection.
