Ajmer court acquits dargah khadim, five others in provocative slogans case

Ajmer court acquits Gauhar Chishti and five others accused of inciting violence during rally against BJP leader.

A Sessions Court in Ajmer on Tuesday acquitted Gauhar Chishti, a khadim (worker) of the historic dargah in the city, and five others accused of inciting people during a rally organised against suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma in June 2022. The prosecution had sought to connect Mr. Chishti’s speech with the murder of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur.

Mr. Chishti was arrested in July 2022 after a case was registered against him over his allegedly objectionable slogans and his speech delivered from the dargah’s Nizam Gate on June 17. The first information report stated that Mr. Chishti had provoked the people and called for the beheading of those who insulted Prophet Muhammad.

The prosecution contended that the video clips of Mr. Chishti’s speech, which were widely circulated on social media platforms, had led to the beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur as well as a pharmacist, Umesh Kolhe, at Amravati in Maharashtra.

The case against Mr. Chishti and others was registered under Sections 115 (abetment of offence punishable with death or life imprisonment), 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than 10 persons), 143 and 149 (unlawful assembly), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code.

The six accused were confined to a high-security jail in Ajmer for the last two years, as their bail applications were rejected.

Additional District and Sessions Court Judge Ritu Meena ruled in her judgment that there was “insufficient evidence” to substantiate the charges against the accused. Mr. Chishti told reporters outside the court, that justice had been served in his case.

The defence counsel contended in court that Mr. Chishti had only organised a peaceful protest rally with due and lawful permission from the district administration after Ms. Sharma hurt the Muslim community’s religious sentiments. Ms. Sharma’s remarks against Prophet Muhammad in a television debate had sparked widespread outrage and triggered backlash from Islamic nations, after which she was suspended from the BJP.