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Danish cartoonist case: Ex-Uttar Pradesh minister Haji Yaqoob’s bail plea rejected
Haji Yaqoob Qureshi had allegedly declared an award of ₹51 crore for beheading the Danish cartoonist who had caricatured Prophet Mohammad in 2006
The court of special chief judicial magistrate here has rejected the bail plea of former U.P. minister Haji Yaqoob Qureshi in a 16-year-old case in which Qureshi allegedly declared an award of ₹51 crore for beheading the Danish cartoonist who had caricatured Prophet Mohammad in 2006.
Public prosecutor Shalu Verma said after hearing pleas from both sides, the court on Thursday (February 16) decided to reject the bail of Qureshi who has been in jail since January 8, 2023, in a case of illegal packing and processing of meat in his factory. The defence lawyer pleaded that the charges levelled against Qureshi were politically motivated. However, the court rejected the plea of the defence.
After Qureshi’s controversial announcement, local BJP leader Sunil Bharala had moved the court and a case was registered against Qureshi on August 8, 2007 on the direction of the court. Bharat accused him of spreading hatred among people by his act.
The action remained pending against the former minister as police failed to file a chargesheet against him. They have now prepared a chargesheet again collecting documents and evidence against him after a case of illegal packing and processing meat in factory was registered against him on April 1 last year.
Qureshi, his wife Sajida Begum, sons Feroz, Imran and others were named in it. Police arrested Qureshi and his son Imran from Delhi on January 7 and sent them to jail. His younger son Feroz had surrendered in a court earlier.
