Haridwar, Uttarakhand | April 21, 2025: A Haridwar court has acquitted Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi, formerly known as Wasim Rizvi, in the 2021 Dharam Sansad hate speech case. The verdict, delivered by Chief Judicial Magistrate Avinash Kumar Srivastava on April 16, cited insufficient evidence to conclusively prove Tyagi’s involvement in the alleged offenses.
The case stemmed from a three-day Dharam Sansad event held in December 2021 at Haridwar’s Niketan Ashram, where several religious leaders were accused of delivering hate speeches. Viral videos of the event drew widespread criticism, including from the Akhil Bhartiya Akhada Parishad, which emphasized that Sanatan Dharma promotes peace and condemns violence against other religions.
Tyagi, a former chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Shia Waqf Board who converted to Hinduism in December 2021, faced charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. An FIR was lodged against him at Haridwar’s Kotwali police station on January 1, 2022. He was arrested on January 13, 2022, near the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border and released on bail in May 2022.
The court’s acquittal was based on the “benefit of doubt,” noting that the prosecution could not access the original source of the electronic evidence and relied solely on a video circulated on social media to file charges. Additionally, the court observed that no eyewitnesses present at the Dharam Sansad were examined during the trial.
This verdict concludes a significant chapter in a case that had garnered national attention and sparked debates on hate speech and religious tolerance in India.
Sources: Siasat.com, The Indian Express, Times of India
