Police send notice to Delhi Minority Commission chief for joining probe in sedition case

The Delhi Police's Special Cell on Monday sent a notice to Delhi Minority Commission Chairman Zafarul Islam Khan to join the probe in connection with a sedition case registered against him for his social media post in April, officials said.

Following the direction of the Delhi High Court, police have sent a notice to Khan and asked him to join the probe within two days, in connection with his "controversial" social media post, they said.

"On the court's directive, we have sent a notice to him to join the probe in next two days," a senior police officer said.

Speaking to PTI over phone, Khan said, "I have received a notice from the special cell to join the probe. I have been asked to give some details with regard to the investigation. I will be joining the probe at their Janakpuri office tomorrow."

An FIR was registered against Khan on April 30 under sections 124 A (sedition) and 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth) of the IPC after police received a complaint from a resident of Vasant Kunj.

This is the second notice which has been sent to Khan.

Earlier in May, a notice under section 91 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was sent to him by the special cell to hand over his device used for making the "controversial" social media post.

Khan had accordingly submitted his device.

In the FIR, the complainant had alleged that Khan's post was provocative and seditious and intended to cause disharmony and create a rift in society, the police said, adding that the case was being investigated by the cyber cell.

However, later, Khan had also sought an apology, while the BJP demanded his removal from the commission.

He had said that his tweet on April 28 thanking Kuwait for taking note of the "persecution" of Indian Muslims, in the context of the northeast Delhi violence, has "pained" some people which was never his intention.