Jantar Mantar case: Hindu Raksha Dal chief says will surrender today
New Delhi: One of the prime accused in the Jantar Mantar hate speech case, Hindu Raksha Dal president Pinky Chaudhary on Sunday released a video — in which he publicly said that he will surrender to the Delhi Police today afternoon and that he has no intention of evading the investigation against him.
Significantly, Chaudhary, who has been absconding since the case was registered, did not disclose his location even as the Delhi Police continue to raid locations across NCR to nab him.
According to police officials, Chaudhary was the main person responsible for the hateful Islamobhopic slogans raised at an event meant to protest against colonial laws — organised by BJP leader and SC advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who is one of the eight arrested in the case so far.
Upadhyay has been granted bail and has claimed he does not know any of his co-accused. However, police have claimed they have found material linking Upadhyay to one or more of the other accused either directly or indirectly.
Chaudhary was denied anticipatory bail first by a local court, following which he approached the Delhi High Court, which has also refused to grant him interim protection from arrest. In the video released on Sunday, Chaudhary said, "I will surrender myself at the Connaught Place police station tomorrow (Monday) afternoon around 12 pm and cooperate with the investigators. I have never run away from arrest. Every individual has a right to go to court and that is what I did. All allegations against me are untrue and without any basis and I have devoted all my life to the cause of Hindus and Hindutva."
While denying him anticipatory bail, Additional Sessions Judge Anil Antil had famously recorded in his order that "we are not in a Taliban state" and that in India rule of law is supreme.
The court had noted in the order, "It is evident from the video in question played before the court during the proceedings, and the transcript submitted thereto, that the said clip depicting the interview of the applicant is impregnated with high octane communal barbs; laced with inflammatory, insulting and threatening gestures, ex-facie is indicative of the calculative design on the part of the applicant (Chaudhary) to promote hatred and ill-will amongst other sections of the community."
Upadhyay has publicly and in court claimed he has no association with Chaudhary or any other accused and that he was "never seen delivering speeches" and nor were the "speeches seen being delivered in his presence or at his behest".
