Allahabad HC Reserves Judgement On Dr. Kafeel Khan's Plea To Quash Hate Speech Charges

Prayagraj, August 18 (TNA) The Allahabad High Court (HC) has reserved its judgement on a case of hate speech against suspended BRD Medical College doctor, Kafeel Khan. The proceedings in the case concluded on Tuesday. The matter was being heard by the single bench of Justice Gautam Chowdhary.

The matter pertains to the alleged hate speech by Khan at a gathering in Aligarh, during protests against the CAA and the NRC. He was booked for inciting hatred against communities and was charged under the National Security Act (NSA). The HC had last year only quashed the NSA proceedings on him.

In this petition, the counsel of Kafeel Khan has demanded that the FIR should also be quashed now and has brought to the notice of the court that no permission was taken during filing of the chargesheet. He also said that it is mandatory to do so when a chargesheet was being filed against a class I officer of the government.

Dr Kafeel, through his lawyer, has also pleaded that he did not give any speech of the kind he is charged with and that it was a normal speech.