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Journalism of Courage
ISLAMIC CLERIC Mufti Salman Azhari, who had been granted bail in cases related to allegedly provocative speeches registered by Ahmedabad police, was arrested by the Vadodara Police Thursday night after the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) was invoked against him. He was moved to Vadodara Central Jail amid heavy security measures on account of his many followers who had gathered outside the prison.
Azhari was apprehended in Mumbai on February 5 by the Gujarat police in connection with a “hate speech” that he allegedly delivered in Junagadh on January 31. Subsequently, Kutch East police lodged a case and arrested him on February 8 for delivering a provocative speech.
Later, a third case was registered against him by the Gujarat police in which, in addition to IPC sections 153(B) (promoting enmity between different religious groups) and 505(2) (making statements conducive to public mischief), Azhari was also charged under Section 298 for allegedly uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person while speaking in Modasa. The police also invoked the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against him for making alleged derogatory remarks against the SC community.
He had been granted bail in the two cases registered against him earlier. However, after receiving bail, as he was on his way out, the Vadodara Police invoked PASA against him, following which he was arrested again.
AIMIM’s Mumbai unit leader Waris Pathan said that their lawyers were helping Azhari’s team to ensure that due process is followed in the matter.
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