Will file contempt plea in Allahabad High Court if Kafeel Khan not released: Kin

Family members of Dr Kafeel Khan said they will file a contempt plea in the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday if he was released as per its orders.

The court on Tuesday morning had ordered the release of the Gorakhpur doctor and quashed his detention under the stringent National Security Act (NSA). The doctor was arrested in January for an alleged provocative speech during an anti-CAA protest at Aligarh Muslim University.

Mathura jail Senior Superintendent Shailendra Kumar Maitreya on Tuesday evening said he is yet to receive the court orders.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate Mathura Sarvagya Ram Mishra said orders of the court will be complied with. "Since, the NSA was imposed on Kafeel by the Aligarh district magistrate, he should be contacted," Mishra said.

Irfan Ghazi, advocate of Kafeel, alleged that the Aligarh DM is not meeting him on the pretext of attending a meeting or other, despite hours of efforts made by him.

Despite repeated efforts, Aligarh DM Chandra Bhushan Singh could not be contacted for comments.

Khan’s brother Adeel claimed that the Mathura jail administration told them that they will go by the order of the district magistrate and until the DM says, Kafeel will not be released.

Adeel claimed that after the High Court passed the order, an e-mail informing about the release of Khan was sent to the Mathura jail administration and the DMs of Mathura and Aligarh, but the authorities are “making an excuse” of not getting the order.

If Kafeel is not released from the jail, then we will file a contempt appeal in the High Court on Wednesday, he said.