Gorakhpur-based doctor Kafeel Khan was on January 29 arrested from Mumbai, an Uttar Pradesh Police officer said.
Amitabh Yash, Inspector-General, U.P. Special Task Force said: “Dr. Kafeel Khan has been arrested by STF in Mumbai.” The official reason for the arrest is not yet known. However, an FIR was lodged against him on December 13, 2019 in Aligarh under Section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code (promoting enmity between different groups).
According to the FIR, Dr. Kafeel Khan is accused of provoking the religious sentiments of Muslim students of the Aligarh Muslim University while he was addressing a gathering of around 600 students about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on December 12. Dr. Kafeel Khan tried to spread hatred among the Muslim students of AMU towards the Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs and Christians coming under the ambit of CAA, the FIR alleged.
“Dr. Kafeel allegedly said through the CAA, “we are giving employment in our homes to thieves who are stealing in our neighborhood,” the police FIR said. “Dr. Kafeel said in his speech that Mota bhai teaches us to become Hindu or Muslim but not human beings,” the FIR said.
As per Dr. Kafeel Khan’s social media accounts, he was scheduled to hold a meeting at the Mumbai Bagh protest in Central Mumbai on January 30. Dr. Kafeel Khan has been under suspension from the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur since the infant deaths tragedy of 2017. According to Dr. Kafeel Khan’s brother Adeel Khan, he was arrested by police at the Mumbai airport. Dr. Kafeel Khan had just landed from Patna, said Mr. Adeel Khan.
As per the FIR, Dr. Kafeel Khan also allegedly said in his speech that in RSS-run schools it is taught that people with beards are terrorists. Swaraj Abhiyan president Yogendra Yadav had also addressed the gathering at the Bab-e-Sayyad (gate) on December 12, the FIR lodged by the police after videography of the event said.
