The Delhi High Court on Friday granted anticipatory bail to former minorities commission chief Zafarul Islam Khan in connection with a sedition case registered against him for his social media post in April, PTI reported. The 72-year-old, who was the DMC chief since July 2017, vacated the post recently.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri said Khan was no longer required for further investigation in the case. In his anticipatory bail plea filed through advocate Vrinda Grover, Khan said he suffered from heart disease and hypertension and was highly susceptible to the coronavirus.
“Manoj Kumar Ohri noted the submissions of Vrinda Grover that Khan has participated in the investigation, and has answered all questions,” the former DMC chief tweeted. “Accordingly, anticipatory bail was granted and the petition was allowed.”
An first information report was filed against Khan on May 2 under Sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth) of the Indian Penal Code after the police received a complaint from a resident of Vasant Kunj. In his post on April 28, the chairperson had thanked Kuwait for “standing with Indian Muslims” in context of the large-scale communal violence in North East Delhi.
Khan said the FIR against him was filed with an intention to harass and intimidate. “It is misconceived, being made on a misrepresentation of facts and an erroneous, untenable reading of the law,” his plea said.
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