By Ghazala Ahmad
The Delhi High Court on Monday questioned the Delhi Police over its alleged confinement of Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) National Secretary and prominent human rights activist Nadeem Khan, asking why police personnel entered his residential premises and restricted his movement without showing any legal order.
“How can you enter the house of this man? You have the right to perform your duty, but how can you do it in such a way? What is your basis for confining him? Denying permission is your right. Show us where it is in law…” the court orally asked the police during the hearing of Khan’s petition challenging his alleged detention on September 29.
A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma issued notice to the Delhi Police and directed it to file a status report within two weeks. The court also recorded the police counsel’s statement that no further phone calls would be made to Khan.
Speaking to Maktoob after the hearing, Khan said the incident reflected a disturbing disregard for constitutional safeguards and questioned whether the police were acting independently or at the direction of political authorities.
“It looks like we are living in a police state. If the police are doing all this nonsense, these kinds of unconstitutional things in the national capital, Delhi, to human rights activists, you can imagine how they are treating ordinary people in India and in the rural parts of the country,” Khan said.
“It is for everyone to see and analyse whether the police are working under constitutional guidelines or are simply working under the command of their political masters,” he added.
During the hearing, advocate Shahrukh Alam, appearing for Khan, told the court that police personnel entered Khan’s office and residence, which are located within the same compound, on September 29 without showing any notice or order. She said the officers remained on the premises until 5:30 pm, effectively preventing him from attending the planned protest at Jantar Mantar.
“I provided them with lunch and tea. No notice or order was shown. On October 2, my mother was unwell, and they called me asking where I was going. They didn’t stop me, but there was constant surveillance,” Alam told the court on Khan’s behalf.
Alam also submitted that Khan had been subjected to repeated surveillance since the incident and had received calls from police personnel asking about his whereabouts and activities.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.
