The Delhi High Court on Monday sought a reply from the police on a plea filed by student activist Asif Iqbal Tanha challenging the framing of charges against him in a case of violence during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in 2019 in south Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.
The court posted the next hearing for October 30. In March, a trial court had framed charges against Mr. Tanha and 10 others, observing that they had “committed abetment by prior conspiracy as well as by instigating violent mob activity at the spot”.
He has been charged under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, and the Arms Act.
The trial court in March framed charges, observing Imam’s December 13, 2019 speech near the Jamia University as a “venomous”, “pitted one religion against another” and was “indeed a hate speech”.
It framed charges against Imam, Tanha and nine others, stating “accused Ashu Khan, Chandan Kumar and Aasif Iqbal Tanha committed abetment by prior conspiracy as well as by instigating violent mob activity at the spot, for which penal provision of Section 109 (abetment) of the IPC is justifiably invoked against them.”
