Sharjeel Usmani appear before Swargate police for ‘objectionable speech’ at Elgar Parishad

Last updated Mar 12, 2021

Former Aligarh Muslim University student leader Sharjeel Usmani, who has been booked for allegedly delivering an objectionable speech at ‘Elgaar Parishad 2’, appeared before Pune City Police for questioning in the case on Wednesday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone 2) Sagar Patil confirmed that Usmani came to the Swargate police station for investigation into the offence lodged against him.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked activist Sharjeel Usmani to appear before Pune police for questioning. A division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale asked the police not to take any coercive action against Usmani till March 16 when the court will hear his plea seeking to quash the case.

The FIR against Usmani was lodged based on a complaint by one Pradeep Gawade for alleged offensive statements against the ‘Hindu community’, ‘Indian Judiciary’ and ‘Parliament’ during the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on January 30, 2021.

Usmani left the police station after the questioning was over. DCP Patil refused to share details about Usmani’s inquiry, saying the investigation is on.

Prior to that, on February 2 the Pune Police had registered a case against Usmani, a former student leader of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), under IPC Section 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc).

Elgar Parishad accused Sharjeel Usmani has approached the Bombay High court seeking quashing of FIR registered against him.

Elgar Parishad, a gathering, was organised on Jan 30 this year to commemorate the anniversary of the Battle of Koregaon Bhima at Ganesala Krida Rangmanch, Swargate, Pune. Usmani, along with various other people from around the country, was a speaker at this event. The event saw some dignitaries such as Former Justice BG Kolse Patil, Arundhati Roy, and included poetry readings, letter readings and speeches of the guest among other things. It is on this occasion that Usmani delivered his address to a select audience.