Supreme Court has agreed to hear the petition of Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan on Wednesday, August 23. In this petition, he is alleged to have made a hate speech against former Chief Minister Mayawati in 2007. The trial court's order to provide a voice sample in the case of using offensive language was challenged.

A voice sample was requested to be matched with Azam Khan's speech, which was recorded in a CD made during a public meeting in the Tanda area of Rampur in 2007

The bench comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and S.V. Bhatti's heard the argument presented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal on behalf of Azam Khan today, in which he had demanded an immediate hearing.

Azam Khan has challenged the verdict of the Allahabad High Court dated July 25, which dismissed his petition and upheld the trial court's order in Rampur.

Case Brief -

Back in 2007, a complaint was filed against Azam Khan under the SC/ST Act at the Tanda Police Station. The complaint was filed by Dheeraj Kumar Sheel, alleging that Azam Khan had delivered a hate speech and used derogatory language against BSP supremo and then Chief Minister Mayawati."

The case was filed under Section 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and Section 171-G (making false statements in connection with an election). The police had also applied Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against Azam Khan.