An FIR has been lodged against Parvez Parvaz, an ex-journalist and activist, for producing doctored video as evidence in “2007 hate speech case” against UP CM Yogi Adityanath. Yesterday, a local court has ordered an FIR against the activist for producing fake evidence. In ‘2007 hate speech case’ petitions were filed against the then Gorakhpur MP Yogi Adityanath and four others, accusing them of hate speech and provoking communal violence in Gorakhpur after a communal clash during Muharram procession.
Later, the case was handed over to CBI and during investigation Parvaz produced a DVD of the speech as evidence. In order to find out the authenticity of the DVD, it was sent to Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CSFL). The forensic test report submitted by CFSL in October 2014 found out that the DVD was edited and tampered, advocate Abhishek Shukla said.
CID submitted its final report after the forensic test, which was challenged by Parvaz in the High Court. However, the court rejected his plea and the Chief Judicial Magistrate of court Nusrat Khan ordered an FIR against him, Mr. Shukla added.
Four other accused in the case were Shiv Pratap Shukla, who is currently junior finance minister at the Centre, current state women’s commission’s deputy chief Anju Chowdhary, former MLC YD Singh and MLA Radha Mohan Das Agarwal.
“The court was appraised that the DVD was edited to show the content as hate speech, after which it passed an order to lodge an FIR against the complainant,” said Ashok Kumar Singh, who appeared for the petitioner.
Former MLC and one of the accused in the case, YD Singh said the DVD produced by Parvaz was edited and tampered and the forensic lab has mentioned it in its report. “The matter is very serious,” he added. Abhishek Shukla who is representing YD Singh in the case filed a petition in the court to file a case against Mr Parvaz on the basis of the forensic report in 2016. A senior police official said they will register a case against Parvaz as soon as they receive the court order.
In 2007, Parvez Parvaz and his associate Asad Hayat had alleged in the police complaint that provocative speech by Yogi Adityanath led to riots in Gorakhpur. The complaint says Yogi Adityanath and four others called for revenge after a man was killed in the 2007 clash during Muharram.
Parvaz is currently in jail. He was arrested in September on charges of rape, which his family has claimed to be “fake”. He was booked by the police after a local woman accused him and another one of his associates, Jumman, of molestation. He dismissed the allegations, saying he was being framed for fighting against injustice.
The arrest of Parvez Parvaz and his accomplice in the rape case will shed more light on the fake FIR filed by him to tarnish the image of the UP CM. Instances like these are not uncommon where a budding journalist is motivated by vile intentions to discredit some prominent politicians.
