Uttar Pradesh government moves court against Varun Gandhi's acquittal

BAREILLY: The Uttar Pradesh government today filed an appeal in a Pilibhit court against acquittal of BJP MP Varun Gandhi in two cases of hate speech lodged in the run up to the previous Lok Sabha elections.

The appeal was filed in Pilibhit sessions court. Government counsel Abhay Saxena moved the appeal in the court of District Judge Vinod Mishra.

The court fixed June 15 as the next date of hearing in which Varun would be required to appear.

On March 5, chief judicial magistrate Abdul Quayyum had acquitted Varun in connection with a hate speech case lodged against him in Barkhera police station during the Lok Sabha election in 2009.

Prior to this on February 27, Varun was let off by the same court in another hate speech case lodged against him at Kotwali police station.

Interestingly, Senior Congress leader Beni Prasad Verma, has alleged that Varun was exonerated in the cases due to a "tacit understanding with the Samajwadi Party-led government in Uttar Pradesh.