Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman Zafarul-Islam-Khan
The Delhi High Court Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC) chairman Zafarul Islam Khan, till June 22, in connection with the sedition FIR lodged against him.
“No coercive steps be taken against him,” Justice Manoj Kuma Ohri said.
Additional Public Prosecutor M P Singh, appearing for the Delhi government, accepted the notice and submitted that the petitioner (Khan) has handed over his laptop. “He (Singh) seeks some time to file a status report. Let the same be filed before the next date of hearing,” the court said. The court has listed the matter for further hearing on June 22.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Khan, contended that in view of the Covid-19 outbreak, an advance notice of two days should be served upon the petitioner for joining the investigation.
The Additional Public Prosecutor submitted that Khan will be informed in advance for joining the investigation.
Khan approached the Delhi High Court through his advocate Grover seeking anticipatory bail in the sedition case lodged against him, citing his old age, health issues and risk of Covid-19 infection. Khan in his application has stated that the FIR was malafide, misconceived and based on misrepresentation of facts and untenable reading of the law.
On April 28, Khan had published a post with alleged seditious and hateful comments through his official page on social media. On May 2, based on a complaint, the Delhi Police Special Cell lodged an FIR against Khan under Sections 124A and 153A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for the alleged offences of sedition and promoting feelings of hatred between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language.