Sharjeel Usmani booked for sedition in Lucknow
An FIR under several charges, including sedition, has been registered in Lucknow's Hazratganj police station against former Aligarh Muslim University student Sharjeel Usmani. The FIR was registered on the complaint moved by Anuraj Singh, a Lucknow resident.
Singh said that he found a video of Sharjeel's speech at Elgar Parishad the speech on Internet. He accused Usmani of 'creating hate' against the Yogi Adityanath government, promoting enmity among groups, hurting religious sentiments and conspiring against the government.
As per the details, the FIR has been registered under IPC sections 124 A (sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups), 295 A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 298 (uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings). Sections of the IT Act are also included in the document.
Earlier on Tuesday, a case was registered against Usmani in Pune in connection with his speech at the Elgar Parishad conclave. According to Pune police commissioner Amitabh Gupta, a case under section 153 (A) of the IPC (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc) was registered against him.
Pradip Gavade, a local leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, BJP's youth wing, had filed a complaint with Swargate police station against Usmani.
The Elgar Parishad conclave took place in Pune on January 30. The gathering was also addressed by writer Arundhati Roy, Justice (retd) BG Kolse Patil and former IPS official SM Mushrif, among others.
Three years ago, several Left-leaning activists were arrested by the police for alleged naxal links following the December 2017 Elgar Parishad conclave and the caste violence at Bhima Koregaon war memorial the next day.
READ MORE: Sharjeel Usmani booked over Elgar Parishad speech
