UP: Allahabad HC quashes charges against Dr Kafeel Khan in anti-CAA speech case

In a big embarrassment for the Yogi Adityanath Administration, the Allahabad High Court has directed the quashing of the entire criminal proceedings and the cognizance order passed against Dr Kafeel Khan in a case that alleged Dr Kafeel Khan have delivered an inflammatory speech during protest against CAA /NRC at Aligarh Muslim University in 2019.

Dr Kafeel Khan spent around 8 months in a Mathura jail following this case filed by the UP Police.

Uttar Pradesh STF arrested him from the Mumbai airport on January 29, 2020 for allegedly making inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during anti-CAA protests in December 2019. Khan was arrested in a joint operation with the Mumbai Police when he arrived in the megapolis to attend anti-CAA protests.

Reacting to the development, Dr Kafeel Khan said: "This is a big victory for the people of India and restores our faith in Judiciary. Yogi Adityanath government's high-handedness with the people of Uttar Pradesh has been completely exposed by this ruling of the Honorable Allahabad High Court. We also hope this brave judgement will give hope to all the pro-democracy citizens and activists languishing in jails across India. Long live Indian Democracy."

“I thank my senior Advocate Shri Dilip Kumar and Advocate Manish Singh,” Dr Kafeel said in his written statement.

He had hogged the headlines after being arrested and jailed for his alleged role in the deaths of over 60 children at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017 due to alleged oxygen shortage.

But, two years later, a state government probe report cleared him of all major charges but he continued to suffer. Government did not reinstate him while the other seven who were suspended along with him were taken back to their jobs.