Dharam Sansad hate speech case: Supreme Court seeks chargesheet copy after Delhi Police say voice sample report not ready

New Delhi: During the hearing of a plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against it in relation to inflammatory speeches made during the 2021 Delhi Dharam Sansad event, the Delhi Police on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the voice sample reports from the forensic lab were not yet ready [Tushar Gandhi v. Rakesh Asthana and Anr]A Bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala sought a copy of the report and chargesheet in the matter, and listed the matter for further hearing in first week of April.

The Court was hearing a plea by social activist and great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi Tushar Gandhi against former Delhi Police Chief Rakesh Asthana, claiming that the controversial Dharam Sansad was allowed to be held in Delhi in December 2021 in violation of Supreme Court orders.

In October 2022, the Supreme Court had, in a plea against hate speech, ordered the Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand Police to take suo motu action in cases of hate speech without looking at the religion of the offenders.

The Bench had last month directed the investigating officer (IO) in the case to submit a status report on the progress of the investigation and arrests made in the matter.

This, after the Bench was informed that the first information report (FIR) in the case was registered five months after the incident, and that no charges have been framed so far.

In the last hearing, the Delhi Police had informed the Supreme Court that the status report was almost ready.

Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj appeared for Delhi Police.

Tushar Gandhi was represented by Advocate Shadan Farasat.