The Allahabad High Court on Monday adjourned hearing on the plea challenging the detention of physician Kafeel Khan under the stringent National Security Act till August 27. The Gorakhpur doctor was arrested on January 29 for an alleged provocative speech against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Aligarh Muslim University in December last year.
The Uttar Pradesh government had earlier extended his detention by three months till November 13. The HC bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Marhur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh adjourned the hearing as parties prayed to file additional documents and the court wanted to pursue original records of the proceedings under the National Security Act (NSA), resulting in the detention of Khan and further extension of the same.
The bench passed the order on a petition filed by Khan's mother Nuzhat Parveen seeking his release. According to the plea, Khan was earlier granted bail by a court and he was supposed to be released. However, the NSA was imposed against him. Hence, his detention was illegal, the plea said.
Under the NSA, people can be detained without a charge for up to 12 months if authorities are satisfied that they are a threat to the national security or law and order. Khan is currently lodged in a Mathura jail.
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