BAREILLY: The UP government has given the approval to police to file chargesheet against former UP minister and senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for passing allegedly derogatory comments on the Army on June 27, 2017, at a party meeting. An FIR was then lodged in that matter by one Akash Saxena, son of a BJP leader. Police had sent Khan’s voice samples along with the CD of the media conference to a lab which confirmed the voice was of Azam Khan.

Additional superintendent of police Sudha Singh told TOI, “We have received instructions from the government to file a chargesheet in a case lodged against Khan last year. The case was lodged under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of IPC. We are also seeking legal opinion on the matter. We will file the chargesheet within a day or two.”

Addressing a meeting of party workers at the SP office in Rampur, referring to attacks on security personnel in Chhattisgarh , Azam Khan had said that “women terrorists” had been chopping off private parts of Army personnel to send “a strong message that should leave the entire nation ashamed”.

Saxena had lodged an FIR at Civil Lines police station in Rampur under sections 153A and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the IPC. Another FIR was also registered in Bijnor soon after under sections 124A (sedition), 131 (abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty) and 505 of IPC.

