Dr Kafeel Khan Charged Under NSA Over Remarks At Anti-CAA Protest

Gorakhpur doctor Kafeel Khan has been charged under the National Security Act (NSA) by the Uttar Pradesh government. He was accused by the state police of making an inflammatory speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA ) on 12 December last year. 

The Yogi Adityanath government was severely criticised after Khan was arrested on 29 January by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai. After his arrest in Mumbai, Khan was brought to Aligarh, from where he was immediately shifted to the district jail in neighbouring Mathura.

Khan was granted bail four days ago, but has been languishing in Mathura jail, according to The Hindu . His family told The Hindu that jail authorities did not give them any reason for withholding Khan’s release. 

“We got to know today morning that NSA has been slapped on Dr Kafeel and now will not be coming out of jail soon. This is simply unacceptable. He is being being targeted at the behest of the state government,” Khan’s brother Adeel Khan was quoted as saying by News18 . 

Khan was earlier arrested after the death of over 70 children at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017. About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

(With PTI inputs)