The Allahabad High Court today asked Uttar Pradesh government to explain why "extraordinary compensation" should not be given to Rampur-based Dalit scholar Kanwal Bharti for being named in a "politically motivated" FIR allegedly at the behest of senior minster and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.
A division bench, comprising Justice Arun Tandon and Justice Vipin Sinha, asked the Principal Secretary (Home) to personally examine the case filed against Bharti at Civil Lines Police Station of Rampur on August 05, 2013.
The FIR was lodged by a close aide of Azam Khan who had alleged that a Facebook post by Bharti had "hurt religious sentiments of the minority community" and could "disturb communal harmony".
However, the court was of the view "prima facie the FIR appears to be politically motivated and it is hard to understand how the Facebook post could have disturbed communal harmony in the state".
Directing the state government to explain why Bharti should not be paid "extraordinary compensation" for being named in the FIR and subsequent "harassment by police", the Court fixed December 15 as the next date of hearing in the matter.
The order came on a petition filed by Bharti who had challenged the FIR and alleged that he was arrested and subjected to "police atrocities" following his Facebook post which was critical of Khan's alleged role in illegal demolition of a mosque during the holy month of Ramzan.
