Published 15:44 IST, September 21st 2020
Dr. Kafeel Khan meets Priyanka Vadra after jail release; writes to UNHRC on 'NSA usage'
Thanking Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her help, Gorakhpur pediatrician Dr. Kafeel Khan on Monday, met with Vadra along with his wife.
- India News
- 2 min read
Thanking Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for her help, Gorakhpur pediatrician Dr. Kafeel Khan on Monday, met with Vadra along with his wife. The pediatrician - who was recently released from a seven-month-long jail stint - tanked Vadra for assuring the doctor and his family a safe haven in Rajasthan. Khan and his family have now shifted to Rajasthan, fearing repercussions from the Yogi government - who had slapped the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on him for an alleged inflammatory speech.
Dr. Kafeel Khan meets Priyanka Vadra
Dr. Khan pens letter to UNHRC
Earlier on Saturday, Dr. Khan wrote to the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), thanking the body for urging the Centre to release him amid Coronavirus (COVID-19). Talking about his traumatic experience through the Gorakhpur trial, his jail stint, and his subsequent release, he highlighted that he is currently suspended inspite of his name being cleared by 8 UP govt commissions. Highlighting the Allahabad High Court's dismissing the NSA slapped against him, he condemned the usage of 'UAPA against political dissenters' by the government.
Kafeel Khan's anti-CAA speech & HC verdict
Khan was arrested by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29, 2020, for allegedly giving a provocative speech at the open talk in the Aligarh Muslim University on December 12, 2019. After being transferred to Mathura Jail from Aligarh, he was detained inspite of being granted bail, as NSA charges were slapped against him. Subsequently, the Allahabad HC ruled that Khan's speech not only gives a call for national unity but also does not show any effort to promote hatred or violence, rejecting grounds for detention under NSA.
Who is Dr. Kafeel Khan?
Dr. Kafeel Khan had earlier grabbed headlines after 60 children died in the BRD hospital in September 2017 allegedly due to disruption in oxygen supply over unpaid bills to the vendor. He was suspended and was jailed before being granted bail in April 2018 by Allahabad High Court, with the Court specifying that there was no evidence of negligence on his part. Last September, Dr Kafeel Khan was given a clean chit in the 2017 BRD hospital tragedy. He had then claimed that he was a victim and being punished for a crime that he never committed.
Updated 15:44 IST, September 21st 2020