Mau Sadar MLA Abbas Ansari Convicted In 2022 Hate Speech Case; Sentenced To 2 Years Of Imprisonment

Lucknow: Mau Sadar MLA Abbas Ansari and Mansoor Ansari were was convicted in the 2022 hate speech case on Saturday. Uttar Pradesh's MP/MLA Court pronounced the judgment. Abbas was sentenced to two years of imprisonment.

Abbas is the son of deceased gangster-turned politician Mukhtar Ansari. A fine of Rs 2,000 was also reported imposed on him by the court. The Mau Sadar MLA was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced. Meanwhile, Mansoor was sentenced to six months in jail.

Abbas Ansari Appears Before The Court:

In March 2022, Mau Police booked Abbas under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including section 506 (criminal intimidation) after a video of the 'hisab-kitab' speech made rounds on social media during the election campaign for 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

Abbas Ansari reportedly threatened government officials during the election campaigning at Pahargarh area. "After formation of SP-led government, the officials would have to give ‘hisab-kitab’ (account) of their work of the past regime before getting transferred,” the Mau Sadar MP had said on March 3, 2022, as quoted by The Times of India. He had also allegedly said that he told Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav not to transfer officers six months after coming to power until the accounts were settled with them.

Abbas Ansari contested the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections on the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party's (SBSP) ticket. The SBSP contested the 2022 polls in coalition with the SP.

In March this year, the supreme Court had granted interim bail to Abbas.