Abu Azmi sentenced to 2-year jail term

A local court on Monday convicted and sentenced Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi to two years in jail for allegedly giving provocative speeches to incite communal violence 12 years back.

The Mazgaon metropolitan magistrate's court convicted Azmi and four others under section 153 (a) and 153 (b) of the Indian Penal Code and has sentenced all of them to two years imprisonment. The court has also imposed a fine of Rs 11000 on each of the accused.

The court has however suspended the sentence handed over to the accused so as to allow them to approach the sessions court challenging the conviction.

The case dates back to year 2000 when Azmi had allegedly given a provocative speech at Nagpada in south Mumbai against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and Congress leader Narayan Rane.

"Azmi had also made a statement that if the Muslim community is troubled by anyone, then no one would be spared. The statement was made to incite violence between two communities," prosecutor Varsha Doshi said.