Yati Narsinghanand detained in Ghaziabad after FIR over alleged hate speech against Prophet Muhammad
Ghaziabad: Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, the mahant of Dasna Devi Temple and a controversial Hindu seer, has been detained by the police in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, following a First Information Report (FIR) filed against him for allegedly delivering a blasphemous speech against Prophet Muhammad. The FIR was registered on Thursday, based on a complaint by a police officer from the Sihani Gate police station.
According to the complaint, the seer made inflammatory remarks during an event at Hindi Bhavan in Lohia Nagar, Ghaziabad, on September 29. The police took action after a video of the alleged speech went viral on social media. The FIR has been lodged under s. 302 of the Indian Penal Code for hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslim community.
Following the incident, protests erupted at various places in Ghaziabad and other parts of Western Uttar Pradesh on Friday night. Members of the Muslim community demanded strict action against Narsinghanand. The Uttarakhand unit of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) also called for stringent measures against the seer, with its state president, Nayyer Kazmi, accusing the authorities of shielding him due to political favoritism.
This is not the first time Narsinghanand has come under scrutiny for his controversial statements. He was previously arrested in 2022 for making hate speeches and, in December 2021, urged Hindus to arm themselves during a gathering at the 'Dharm Sansad' in Haridwar.
The police have stated that further action will be taken after a detailed examination of the viral video.
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BCI urges CJI to take action against Andhra HC judge for sending young lawyer to 24-hour custody
New Delhi (PTI): The Bar Council of India on Wednesday sought the urgent intervention of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant following a "deeply disturbing" incident where a judge of the Andhra Pradesh High Court reportedly sent a young advocate to
24-hour judicial custody over a procedural lapse.
The Bar Council of India (BCI) Chairperson and senior advocate Manan Kumar Mishra, in a formal representation, termed the conduct of Justice Tarlada Rajasekhar Rao "grossly inappropriate" and "damaging to the confidence of the Bar".
“I most respectfully request your Lordship to kindly take immediate institutional cognizance of the matter and call for the video recording of the proceedings, the order passed, and the surrounding circumstances.
“I further request that appropriate administrative action may kindly be considered, including withdrawal of judicial work from the learned Judge pending review, his immediate transfer to some far off High Court, and his nomination for appropriate judicial training/orientation on court management, judicial temperament, Bar-Bench relations, and proportional exercise of contempt/judicial authority,” Mishra wrote.
This representation is made to preserve the “dignity, moral authority and public confidence of the judiciary”, he said, adding, “Judges command the highest respect not by fear, but by fairness, patience, restraint and constitutional humility”.
The communication urged the CJI to intervene at the earliest to ensure that the faith of Bar, particularly young advocates, in the protective and corrective role of the judiciary is restored.
The controversy stems from proceedings on May 5.
According to the BCI, a video circulating online shows Justice Rao rebuking a young advocate who was unable to produce a specific order copy during a hearing.
The letter said that despite the advocate "repeatedly seeking pardon and mercy" and claiming he was in physical pain, the judge remained "unmoved".
The judge allegedly told the lawyer, "now you will learn," and mocked his experience before directing the Registrar and police personnel to take him into custody for 24 hours.
The BCI chairperson said that the judge’s actions lacked proportionality and fairness.
"The dignity of the court is not enhanced when a lawyer is made to beg for grace in open court and is still sent to custody for a procedural lapse," the letter said.
"A young lawyer... is an officer of the Court, still learning, still growing, and entitled to correction without humiliation," it added.
The bar body said that such actions create a "chilling effect" on the legal fraternity, particularly among junior members, and undermine the mutual respect required between the Bench and the Bar.
