Indore law college book row: MP Police forms teams to arrest author; probe panel records statements of students

BHOPAL/INDORE: Madhya Pradesh Police has constituted teams to arrest the author of a controversial book against whom a case was registered last week, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday.
The case was registered after activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest on the premises of the government Law College in Indore alleging the book, being taught to students, has very objectionable contents against the Hindu community and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, which encourages religious fundamentalism.
Meanwhile, a seven-member committee set by the higher education department on Tuesday recorded the statement of 250 students of the college and teachers regarding the controversy and ABVP's allegations.
Additional director Mathura Prasad, a member of the committee, said they will submit the report to the state government by Wednesday evening.
The Indore district court on Tuesday denied pre-arrest bail to the principal of the government law college Inam-Ur-Rahman and professor Mirza Moziz Beig against whom an FIR was registered along with the book's author Farhat Khan and the publisher of the book.
The case was registered on charges of promoting enmity between different groups and hurting religious feelings, police had said.
"Police teams have been formed to arrest author Dr Farhat Khan and the publisher of the controversial book...will also write a letter to the department concerned to withdraw the doctorate of Dr Farhat Khan," Mishra told reporters in Bhopal.
Hitesh Khetrapal of Amar Law Publications, the Indore-based publisher of the book, had last week said the author had already submitted a letter of apology regarding the disputed portions of her book.
Principal Rahman had resigned amid the controversy. He had said he was innocent as he assumed the charge of the post in 2019 whereas the controversial book was bought in 2014.