Interim relief to Azam Khan: Supreme Court puts temporary stay on order to submit a voice sample in the 2007 hate speech case

Today, the Supreme Court bench put a temporary stay on a trial court’s order directing Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan to submit a voice sample in the 2007 hate speech case. This decision was given in context with a plea filed by Azam Khan challenging a direction to submit a voice sample. The sample was required to compare with a CD-recorded speech that he delivered in Rampur in August 2007, during a public gathering. Earlier, the matter was heard by the Allahabad High Court whereas the HC refused to interfere with the trial court’s order. Today, a two-judge bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and AS Bopanna heard the matter and gave interim relief to Azam Khan by staying temporarily the trial court’s order. The bench ordered, “Issue notice to the respondent. In the meantime, there shall be an interim stay on the directions issued by the trial court through the October 2022 order and upheld by the Allahabad High Court in July 2023.”

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