New Delhi [India]: The Rouse Avenue Court on Monday extended the interim protection granted to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan until February 25, after hearing arguments on his anticipatory bail plea.
Special Judge Jitendra Singh presided over the hearing and listed the matter for further proceedings tomorrow. The Okhla MLA was earlier granted protection from coercive action on February 13, with instructions to cooperate with the investigation.
During the hearing, Delhi Police submitted CCTV footage and witness statements related to the February 10 incident in Jamia Nagar. The court also sought clarification regarding a reported power failure at the time of the incident.
Pulling up the police for procedural delays, the court questioned why a supplementary chargesheet had not been filed against Shavej Khan, and why his Proclaimed Offender (PO) status had not been revoked despite his anticipatory bail.
Representing Delhi Police, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastava argued that custodial interrogation of Amanatullah Khan was necessary due to contradictions in statements given by him and Shavej Khan. The prosecution noted that Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) had been invoked, citing Khan’s alleged involvement in ongoing unlawful activities.
Defending Khan, advocates Rajat Bhardwaj, Kaustubh Khanna, and Irshad Khan pointed out that the police themselves acknowledged that Shavej Khan’s PO status had not been cancelled due to an oversight. “If the PO status was inadvertently retained, how can Amanatullah Khan be accused of obstructing custody?” the defense argued.
The FIR against Amanatullah Khan alleges that he obstructed a Delhi Police crime branch team attempting to arrest Shavej Khan, who was declared a PO in connection with a 2018 case. However, the defense noted that Shavej Khan was granted anticipatory bail on July 30, 2018, and was not charge-sheeted in the case.
The court had previously directed the police to ensure that Khan’s interrogation be conducted under CCTV surveillance and asked for verification of Shavej Khan’s PO status at the time of the Jamia Nagar incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Assam for the Advantage Assam 2.0 summit is ongoing, but political tensions in Delhi remain high as the case against the AAP legislator unfolds. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on February 25.