Court Orders FIR against NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad for Hate Speech

A Thane court directed the police to file an FIR against former Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad under Sections 153A and 505(2) of the IPC for promoting enmity between different communities.

The case stems from Awhad’s 2018 remarks, allegedly made during a video about Vaibhav Raut’s arrest, in which Awhad claimed that the bombs recovered from Raut were intended to disrupt a Maratha Morcha rally and could incite tensions between Maratha and Bhandari communities.

Khush Khandelwal, an advocate filed a criminal case against Awhad remarks under Section 156(3) of the CrPC after police failed to act. 

The court ruled the FIR should be registered, citing the cognizable nature of the offence.