SC rejects Azam’s apology regarding Bulandshahr gang rape case

New Delhi: In a major blow to Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, the Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected Azam’s written apology of calling Bulanshahr gang rape a ‘political conspiracy’. The apex court said it was not an ‘unconditional apology’.

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Amitava Roy had objection in the three-page affidavit which primarily focused on blaming media for misreporting Azam’s statement.

“…If any word or deed of the answering respondent has caused any pain to the victims or their family, who have already suffered so much, then the answering respondent unconditionally and without reserve expresses his sincere and heartfelt remorse at anything said by him which may have unintentionally added to their suffering,” read Khan’s affidavit.

Azam had said that he will use word remorse in a fresh affidavit to which Supreme Court said, "examine whether remorse is sufficient for tendering an unconditional apology".

The next hearing is scheduled to take place on December 15.

What Azam Khan had said?

• Azam Khan had earlier stated that the rape of a minor and her mother on the Bulandshahr highway was a political conspiracy.
• “To get power, politicians can get down to any level, they can murder people, trigger riots, kill innocent people. So the truth has to be found out,” the minister had said.

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