Dr Kafeel Khan held over 'inflammatory' remarks during anti-CAA protests in UP

Controversial child specialist Dr Kafeel Khan was back in news after the Uttar Pradesh STF arrested him from the Mumbai airport for allegedly making inflammatory statements at the Aligarh Muslim University during anti-CAA protests in December 2019, officials said on Thursday.

Khan, who was arrested in a joint operation with the Mumbai Police when he arrived in the megapolis on Wednesday night to attend anti-CAA protests, will be brought to Aligarh under transit remand, the Special Task Force said in a release in Lucknow.

He had hogged the headlines after being arrested and jailed for his alleged role in the deaths of over 60 children at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017 due to alleged oxygen shortage.

 

But, two years later, a state government probe report cleared him of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

Khan was posted as a pediatrician when 63 children died in a span of less than a week in August 2017 allegedly because of short supply of oxygen to the children's ward at the hospital, including critical care units.

Following a massive outrage, Khan was suspended, with the UP government noting that he had failed to take prompt action or warn his superiors about the impending crisis despite knowing about the situation.

An STF official said in Lucknow on Thursday that Khan was arrested in connection with a case registered at Civil Lines Police Station in Aligarh under Section 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the IPC.

An official from the Mumbai Police said, "Our police team helped our UP counterparts on their request."

The charge against Khan is that he made inflammatory statements on December 12 last year during the protest near Bab-e-Syed Gate outside the Aligarh Muslim University in front of more than 600 students.

The official also alleged that the Gorakhpur doctor had made objectionable comments against Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Following the arrest in the case, Khan was taken to the Sahar Police Station in Mumbai for completing formalities before being taken to UP on transit remand.