A court in Rampur on Saturday sentenced Azam Khan to two years of imprisonment in the Azam Khan hate speech case linked to objectionable remarks allegedly made against government officials during the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaign.
The court also imposed a fine on the senior Samajwadi Party leader, who appeared before the court through video conferencing from Rampur jail, where he is currently lodged in another matter.
Case Linked to 2019 Lok Sabha Campaign Rally
The case relates to a speech delivered by Khan during an election rally in the Mankara area under the Bhot police station limits in 2019. At the time, Khan was contesting the 2019 Indian general election from the Rampur Lok Sabha constituency as the candidate of the SP-BSP-RLD alliance.
According to the prosecution, Khan made objectionable remarks against government officials, including then Rampur District Magistrate Anjaneya Kumar Singh, during the public gathering. The speech was later circulated widely on social media and was alleged to be in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
FIR Registered Following Complaint by Election Official
The FIR in the matter was registered on May 11, 2019, based on a complaint filed by then Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Assistant Returning Officer Ghanshyam Tripathi.
Initially lodged at the Civil Lines police station, the case was later transferred to the Bhot police station after investigators verified the exact location of the rally.
Senior prosecution officer Rakesh Kumar Maurya said the court examined 10 prosecution witnesses before convicting Khan.
Court Convicts Khan Under IPC and RP Act Sections
The court found Khan guilty under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 153(A) for promoting enmity between groups, Section 153(B) relating to imputations prejudicial to national integration, and Section 505(2) concerning statements promoting hatred or ill-will between classes.
He was also convicted under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, which deals with election-related offences.
Maurya stated that the remarks were not aimed at any individual IAS officer personally, but broadly referred to salaried government officials.
Azam Khan to Challenge Verdict in Higher Court
Khan’s counsel, Nasir Sultan, said an appeal would be filed against the conviction and sentence.
The verdict adds to the long list of legal cases faced by Khan in recent years. According to police records, several FIRs were registered against the former Uttar Pradesh minister after 2017, with a significant number filed in 2019.
A 10-time MLA from Rampur Sadar and one of the most prominent Muslim leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Khan has faced allegations ranging from land grabbing and trespass to intimidation and hate speech in multiple cases. He has received bail or relief in several matters and has also been acquitted in some cases.
