Kafeel Khan
Human Rights Defender
Uttar Pradesh

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on January 13 regarding the harassment and intimidation of Dr. Kafeel Khan, and his implication in a false case by police in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Dr. Khan was in-charge of the pediatric wing at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Hospital in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

On December 13, 2019, Aligarh police registered an FIR against Dr. Khan and booked him under Section 153A of IPC. He was accused of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony. The FIR states that Dr. Kafeel Khan attempted to disrupt peace and communal harmony with his provocative speech on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at the Aligarh Muslim University.