UP STF arrests Dr Kafeel for making 'inflammatory' remarks at anti-CAA rally in AMU

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on Wednesday arrested Dr Kafeel Ahmed Khan, a former paediatrician at Gorakhpur’s BRD hospital from Mumbai, for allegedly delivering a provocative speech during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in December, an official said.

Dr Kafeel 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 released in April 2018.

The accused allegedly made an inflammatory speech at an ‘Open Talk’ in the AMU campus during the anti-CAA protest, and was booked then. Activist Yogendra Yadav was the other speaker at the event.

READ | Police Registers FIR Against Gorakhpur Doctor For Giving A Provocative Speech At AMU

Inspector-General of Police (STF) Amitabh Yash informed that Dr Kafeel was booked for his objectionable statement during the Aligarh protest.

An FIR was registered against him under section 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion) of IPC at the civil lines police station in Aligarh on December 13.

Last September, Dr Kafeel 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. 

READ | "BRD Hospital Tragedy Blown Out Of Proportion", CM Adityanath Blames "internal Politics" For The Death Of 60 Infants

FIR cites Dr Kafeel Khan's alleged remarks

The FIR registered in December against Khan said that he made an attempt to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere and disturb the communal harmony. 

According to the FIR, Dr Kafeel stated that "the BJP leadership was teaching everyone to adhere to their religion first, rather than becoming good human beings". Alleging that the Citizenship Amendment Bill rendered Muslims as second-class citizens, he claimed that they would be harassed after the implementation of the National Register of Citizens.

He said that the people had to fight as it was a matter of their existence and argued that the students in the RSS school were being taught to identify certain people as terrorists.

READ | Paresh Rawal Apologises To Dr Kafeel Khan Over 2017 Remark

READ | Yogi Adityanath Backs UP Police Action At AMU: 'Cops Will Enter If Law &order Challenged'

(Photo: PTI)