Supreme Court Grants Uttar Pradesh Two Weeks to Address Hate Crime Allegations

Court Orders Action on Hate Crime Case

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court provided the Uttar Pradesh government with a two-week deadline to file charges under sections 153B and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against individuals accused of assaulting a Muslim cleric in a moving van in Noida in 2021. According to the complaint filed by cleric Kazim Ahmed Sherwani in June 2021, a group of people initially offered him a lift while he was traveling from Noida to Aligarh, but later began to verbally abuse him, pulling his beard and removing his cap.

Expressing their frustration, the bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta questioned why the authorities had not yet acted on their previous orders. The court indicated it might summon the investigating officer to explain the lack of compliance with the directive. However, at the request of Additional Solicitor General (ASG) K.M. Nataraj, who sought more time to ensure adherence to the court's earlier ruling, the court granted the Uttar Pradesh government an extension of two weeks.

The next hearing for this case is scheduled for May 19. During the previous hearing in February, ASG Nataraj argued that provisions related to hate crimes should apply, prompting the court to instruct the Uttar Pradesh government to "fulfill its responsibilities" and include hate crime charges in the case.

Sherwani approached the Supreme Court in November 2021, alleging that officials in Noida initially refused to register his complaint. He also demanded the establishment of a compensation framework for victims of hate crimes and action against the responsible officials. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court reiterated the two-week deadline for the Uttar Pradesh government to add charges related to inciting religious sentiments and hate crimes against those accused of assaulting the cleric.