‘Kafeel Khan May Get Killed Inside Jail, Not Given Food for 5 Days’: UP Doctor’s Wife to Allahabad HC

Lucknow: Shabista Khan, wife of Dr Kafeel Khan who was detained under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged inflammatory statements during an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest, has expressed concern over the security of her husband inside Mathura jail in Uttar Pradesh saying he “might be killed inside the prison”.

Shabista has written a letter to the Chief Justice of the High Court requesting security to her husband, claiming his life might be in "danger".

In the letter, which has also been marked to Additional Chief Secretary Home Uttar Pradesh and DG Jail Uttar Pradesh, she said that Khan was being treated “inhumanly” in the jail as he was not provided food for five consecutive days and was being “mentally harassed”.

“I met my husband Dr Khan in Mathura Jail. I came to know that there is a life threat to him. He is being mentally harassed inside and was not even given food for five days after he was brought to jail. I fear that he might be killed inside the jail. I have requested Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court to ensure his security,” Shabista Khan told media.

Khan was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force last month from Mumbai after he allegedly made inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during an anti-CAA protest on December 12, 2019. On February 14, he was charged under the NSA and is currently lodged in Mathura jail.

A few days ago, Nusrullah Ahmad Warsi, Khan’s maternal uncle, was shot dead by some unidentified miscreants inside his house in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur.

According to police, some unidentified miscreants barged into his house in Gorakhpur's Bankat Chukk area under Rajghat Police Station and shot him dead.

An officer who visited the murder site along with crime branch sleuths, said, “An angle of property dispute and money-related argument is suspected at the moment.”

A case was registered against two accused —Anil Sonkar and Imamuddin —after a written complaint was given to police by the family of the deceased. “A case has been registered against two people in this matter and soon they will be arrested. Other angles are also being probed,” Circle Officer Kotwali VP Singh had told media.