Supreme Court asks Allahabad HC to decide on plea to release Dr Kafeel Khan within 15 days

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Allahabad High Court to decide on a petition related to the release of Dr Kafeel Khan within 15 days, reported

Bar and Bench. The Gorakhpur doctor was arrested in February under the stringent National Security Act for allegedly making inflammatory comments during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Aligarh Muslim University in December.

The bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian was hearing a plea filed by Khan’s mother Nuzhat Perween seeking time-bound hearing by the High Court of her petition. On March 18, the top court had asked Perween to move the High Court first. She again moved the Supreme Court after the hearing in the High Court was delayed.

“We request the HC [High Court] to dispose of the matter peremptorily as early as possible, having regard to the fact that it involves the liberty of the applicant, within a period of fifteen days from the date the parties appear before it,” the Supreme Court ruled.

The court, while passing the order, observed that it has always prioritised matters concerning personal liberty. “Liberty is something which we have prioritised even during hard times,” said Justice Bobde, according to Hindustan Times

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Khan was arrested on January 29 and granted bail in the case...

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