High Court Dismisses Abbas Ansari's Plea in Hate Speech Case

The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition filed by former Mau MLA Abbas Ansari, concerning a 2022 hate speech case. Ansari, son of Mukhtar Ansari, a notorious gangster-turned-politician, challenged a forensic report tied to audio evidence of his alleged hate speech.

Justice Samit Gopal declared the petition infructuous due to the conclusion of the trial in the district court, which had pronounced a judgment. The court remarked that since the trial order from April 2025 was under challenge and had now concluded, the petition was rendered moot.

Abbas Ansari faced charges of undue influence and criminal intimidation following a viral video from a 2022 Mau district rally. In the wake of his conviction and a two-year sentence, he was disqualified from the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, and the Mau seat was declared vacant.

(With inputs from agencies.)