The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday set aside the conviction of Abbas Ansari, son of jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, in a 2022 hate speech case.
Justice Samir Jain quashed the order of a special MP-MLA court in Mau, which had on May 31 convicted Abbas and sentenced him to two years’ rigorous imprisonment. The conviction was upheld by an appellate court on July 5, prompting Abbas to approach the High Court.
The case stemmed from a speech delivered by Abbas during the 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Contesting from Mau Sadar constituency on a Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) ticket, Abbas had allegedly threatened government officials with consequences if the Samajwadi Party came to power.
He was convicted under Sections 153-A (promoting enmity between groups), 189 (threat of injury to a public servant), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 171-F (undue influence at elections) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Along with the two-year jail term, the special court had also imposed a fine of ₹2,000 on him.
Abbas’ election agent, Mansoor Ansari, who was present on stage during the speech, was also convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment.
According to the prosecution, Abbas had declared during the campaign:
“I have told Akhilesh bhaiya (former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav) that after the formation of the government, there will be no transfer or postings of bureaucrats for six months. Everyone will remain where they are. First there will be hisab-kitab (scores to be settled), only then will transfer take place.”
The remarks were deemed threatening to public officials and violative of electoral conduct.
Despite the controversy, Abbas secured a resounding victory in the 2022 assembly election, winning the Mau seat by over 38,000 votes.
