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Dharma Sansad hate speech case: Jitendra Tyagi surrenders in court on completion of bail

Chief judicial magistrate asked authorities to make adequate arrangements for his security in prison as he had cited threat to his life

Dharma Sansad hate speech case: Jitendra Tyagi surrenders in court on completion of bail File Photo

Haridwar: Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, accused of delivering hate speech at the Haridwar Dharma Sansad, surrendered in a court here on Friday on the completion of his interim bail period. The chief judicial magistrate's court sent him to jail and asked authorities to make adequate arrangements for his security in prison as he had cited a threat to his life.

Akhada Parishad president Mahant Ravindra Puri accompanied Tyagi when he came to the court to surrender. Tyagi, called Waseem Rizvi before his conversion to Hinduism, was granted interim bail on medical grounds by the Supreme Court on May 17.

In a video message on Wednesday, Tyagi had claimed some criminals from Jwalapur in Haridwar had conspired to behead him while he was in jail before being granted interim bail. He also cited a threat to his life from Islamic fundamentalists.

Tyagi, who previously was the president of the Shia Waqf Board, was the first to be arrested in January this year in connection with the Haridwar Dharma Sansad where highly provocative speeches were allegedly made against Islam and its practitioners.

The Dharma Sansad was held in December last year. He is among more than 10 accused, including the controversial priest of the Dasna temple near Ghaziabad, Yati Narasinghananada.