New Delhi: A Chief Judicial Magistrate Court (MP-MLA) court in Mau sentenced Abbas Ansari, the son of late don-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, to 2 years in jail in a hate speech case. The Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party MLA, reportedly made a speech targeting government servants in 2022. He reportedly said that once the SP comes to power, every public servant will have to give ‘hisab-kitab’ for the work done under his leadership.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Krishna Pratap Singh sentenced Ansari for a maximum of 2 years under Section 506 of the Indian Penal Code and also imposed a fine of Rs 3,000 on him. Apart from this a smaller jail term was awarded to him under a different section. It is clear that following the conviction, Ansari would lose his Assembly seat.
What is the case against Ansari?
One must note that in 2022 a case was registered in Kotwali against Abbas Ansari and Umar Ansari in a hate speech case, during the elections in Uttar Pradesh. Reports said that during his speech in Paharpur area on March 3, 2022, Ansari reportedly threatened officials from the dais. He was contesting the 2022 Assembly Elections from Mau-Sadar seat and his party, the SBSP was in alliance with the Samajwadi Party.
Ansari reportedly said at the public meeting, “After formation of the SP-led government, the officials would have to give ‘hisab-kitab’ (account) of their work of the past regime before getting transferred.”
The speech was made on March 3,2022 at night and it soon went viral on social media. He further said at the public rally, “Before leaving Lucknow for contesting Mau I had a detailed talk with Akhilesh Bhaiyya (Akhilesh Yadav) when I said that don’t issue transfer list of officers for 6 months after formation of government. The officers will first give an account of their work before their transfer certificates are signed.”
The words were interpreted as a direct threat to the officials and he was booked for hate speech. Following outrage on social media, the Mau Police booked Ansari, Umar and Mansoor under sections 171F (offence of undue influence or personation at an election) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of IPC. Later on more sections were added to the case. The police added, 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race), 186 (voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions), 189 (Threatening a public servant with injury to him) and 120B (criminal conspiracy), to the case.
Following the case, the Election Commission had also imposed a 24-hour campaigning ban on Ansari at the time.
Abbas Ansari got bail just 2 months back
Abbas had been released from jail just 2 months back, after getting bail. He was released after getting interim bail from the Supreme Court. He was in jail for allegedly being involved in criminal activities and illegal financial transactions.
The Enforcement Directorate had filed cases against him under the Money Laundering and Gangster Act. He has been in jail since November 2022 in this case. Now after this judgment he will again be imprisoned.
