Read Time: 04 minutes

The Supreme Court today granted bail to Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi formerly known as Wasim Rizvi for 3 months on medical grounds in a matter pertaining to an investigation into the alleged hate speech at Haridwar Dharam Sansad.

Last week, the top court had issued notice in an SLP filed by Tyagi challenging the Uttarakhand High Court's order denying his Bail Application in FIR registered under Sections 153A (Promoting enmity between groups), 298 (deliberately hurting religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 by Uttarakhand Police. 

"....the basis of the speech attributed to the Petitioner was a desire for reform and a few isolated words of the speech cannot be read to undermine the fact that the contents of the speech were to demonstrate the need for reforms...", the SLP stated.

Today a bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Vikram Nath granted bail to Tyagi and ordered that the matter be listed after two and a half months.

On December 23, 2021, an FIR was lodged by Gulbahar Khan against Tyagi alleging that he made derogatory comments on Prophet Mohammed and Quran during the Dharam Sansad event.

Tyagi recently converted to Hindu Religion in Shiv Shakti Temple, Dasna, District Ghaziabad according to Sanatan Dharam on December 6, 2021. He was invited to “Dharam Sansad” event organised from December 17-19, 2021.

Further, it was alleged that on January 2, 2022, Tyagi released a video abusing Islam and the Prophet.

In January this year, a local court at Haridwar had denied bail to Tyagi for his alleged offensive and provocative comments against the Muslim community.

The Uttarakhand High Court in March denied bail to Tyagi in the 'Haridwar Dharam Sansad case' while observing that Tyagi's speech at the religious congregations at Haridwar was indeed a hate speech. 

The order read, "Undoubtedly, the transcript reveals that there are huge derogatory remarks against a particular religion; against Prophet. The Prophet has been abused; it intends to wound the religious feelings of persons belonging to a particular religion; it intends to wage war. It promotes enmity. It is a hate speech."

Case Title: Jitender Narayan Tyagi vs. State of Uttarakhand & Anr.