SC closes contempt plea against Delhi Police in hate speech case

The Supreme Court on Thursday closed a contempt petition filed by activist Tushar Gandhi against Delhi Police in connection with hate speeches made at religious assemblies in 2021, after noting that a charge sheet has already been filed in a court here.

Appearing for Delhi police, Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj submitted before a bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala that a charge sheet, after investigations were concluded, was filed on April 4, before a court of metropolitan magistrate in the national capital.

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The bench said that it is not expedient in the interest of justice to continue with the present contempt petition against the backdrop that a charge sheet has been filed on April 4.

"There is nothing left for us to do now, Magistrate will proceed as per the Criminal Procedure Code," the bench said.

On February 20, Nataraj had informed the court that the probe in the matter was at an advanced stage and a report will be filed shortly.

In January, the Delhi Police have told the Supreme Court that it is conducting a fair and an unbiased investigation into the alleged hate speech made at a religious assembly in the national capital in 2021, and it have examined spokesperson of Delhi BJP, editor-in-chief of Sudarshan News, members of Hindu Yuva Vahini and others so far.

On January 13, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Delhi Police for registering FIR on the alleged hate speeches made at Dharam Sansad in Govindpuri in December 2021 after a lapse of five months and not making an arrest or filing chargesheet till date. It had told the police that there was no palpable progress made in the investigation in the case.