New Delhi [India], February 25: The Rouse Avenue court has reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Amanatullah Khan. The court will deliver its ruling at 4 pm today, following clarifications sought from both Delhi Police and the defence counsel.
A case was registered against Khan by Delhi Police, alleging that he obstructed public servants from arresting an alleged proclaimed offender, Shavej Khan, in the Jamia Nagar area on February 10, 2025. Amanatullah Khan was granted interim protection and instructed to join the investigation on February 13, 2025.
Court Proceedings and Arguments
During the hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Atul Shrivastava highlighted that six cases are still under investigation and five others are pending trial against the accused. On the other hand, the defence counsel argued that the Delhi High Court had stayed two of the trial cases, and there had been no convictions so far.
The court also extended the interim protection for Amanatullah Khan, originally granted on February 13, allowing him to avoid coercive action while cooperating with the investigation.
Details of the Case
The FIR filed by Delhi Police alleges that on February 10, 2025, Amanatullah Khan obstructed a six-member crime branch team attempting to arrest Shavej Khan, who was declared a proclaimed offender in a 2018 case registered at the Jamia Nagar police station. Police had been attempting to apprehend Khan for his involvement in unlawful activities, including a pending case from 2017.
However, the defence raised the argument that Shavej Khan was not a proclaimed offender at the time of the incident, as he had been granted anticipatory bail in 2018, with the status of proclaimed offender not officially canceled by authorities. Defence lawyers also pointed out that the police had not filed a supplementary charge sheet against Shavej Khan, even after he was granted anticipatory bail.
Delhi Police’s Position
Delhi Police stated that custodial interrogation of Amanatullah Khan is required as there are contradictions between his statements and those of Shavej Khan. Additionally, the police invoked Section 111 (BNS), as they believe the MLA is involved in continuing unlawful activities, with 26 cases filed against him.
In response, the defence argued that the status report filed by Delhi Police already indicated that Shavej Khan’s proclaimed offender status had not been canceled. They questioned the allegations of obstructing the police team and helping Khan flee, pointing out the discrepancies in the police’s claims regarding his status as a proclaimed offender.
The court has now reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea, with a final decision expected later today.