Kalicharan Maharaj granted bail in Pune hate speech case; to be returned to Raipur

A Pune court on Friday granted bail to Kalicharan Maharaj on a surety amount of Rs 25,000 in an inflammatory speech case. The development comes two days after a Pune court had sent Kalicharan to one-day police custody. Pune Police took custody of him from its counterpart in Raipur in connection with the hate speeches made by him during the "Shivpratap Din" programme on December 19, organised to commemorate the 1659 killing of Adilshahi commander Afzal Khan by warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. 

Khadak police had registered an FIR under IPC sections 295 (A) (outraging religious feelings), 298 (deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings), and 505 (2) (false statement, rumour made in place of worship, etc, with intent to create enmity). 

Kalicharan Maharaj in custody

In relation to another hate speech against Mahatma Gandhi delivered in 'Dharam Sansad' in Raipur, Kalicharan Maharaj was arrested on December 30 by the Chhattisgarh police from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, four days after an FIR was registered under IPC Sections 505(2) and 294 against him. During the investigation and on the basis of evidence, sections 153 A (1) (A), 153 B (1)  (A), 295 A, 505 (1) (B) were also included.

Thereafter, he was produced in a Raipur court that had remanded him to 2-day judicial custody. However, before the completion of the 2 days, he was produced again, and this time remanded to 14-day judicial custody. He is to stay in custody till January 15.

Now that the court has granted him bail, the Pune Police is most likely to give his custody back to the Raipur Police. 

Kalicharan Maharaj's controversial statement

Invited to deliver a speech at a Dharam Sansad held in Raipur, Kalicharan Maharaj downgraded Mahatma Gandhi and hailed Nathuram Godse for killing him.  He claimed that it was Gandhi who had aided Muslims to capture countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh through politics. 

"Islam captured nation via politics. They captured Pakistan and Bangladesh in front of our eyes. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi destroyed everything. My salutations to Nathuram Godse Ji for killing him," Kalicharan Maharaj said, adding that oppression by Hindus is necessary to control Muslims otherwise they become "cancer".