Kafeel Khan Episode: Cruelty of the State
The Dr Kafeel Khan episode involving his repeated arrest and release after a grueling nine months reveals the extent of cruelty practiced by those in power. When hundreds of children died due to the paucity of oxygen cylinders as a result of the government’s callousness at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh in 2017, Dr Khan tried hard to save the children. After private contractors stopped the supply of oxygen to the hospital, Dr Khan used his personal finances to purchase oxygen cylinders and saved the lives of many children. He also exposed the maladministration and inefficiency in the hospital. But, the Uttar Pradesh government, instead of punishing those responsible for such systemic inefficiencies, put Dr Khan in the dock. To cover up its failures, it even denied that the death of the children was due to the cut in the supply of oxygen cylinders. It held Dr Khan responsible for the tragedy and became vengeful by torturing him and his family.
The greatest tragedy is that after he was released in the case pertaining to the death of the children, the government tried to falsely implicate Dr Khan under the National Security Act (NSA) and imprison him permanently. The Allahabad High Court on September 1, however, dismissed the case under the NSA in which he was arrested. Issuing a stern order, the court held the Uttar Pradesh government’s order to arrest Dr Khan in February and the subsequent extension of his imprisonment twice as invalid.
After his arrest for the Gorakhpur hospital incident, Dr Khan was released from jail in April 2018 nine months after being jailed. But when Khan started speaking against the government after his release, the police filed another FIR. Using the speech he delivered criticising Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a pretext, the Uttar Pradesh police arrested him on January 29 in Mumbai.
The court subsequently granted bail to Dr Khan on February 10 in the face of stiff opposition from the Uttar Pradesh government. But, the Uttar Pradesh government again immediately arrested Dr Khan under the NSA on February 13. Dr Khan had to spend nearly nine months in jail. In its September 1 historical order, the Allahabad High Court dismissed the arrest of Dr Khan and the subsequent extension of his jail term. The court presented the full text of Dr Khan’s December speech with its order and stated that the speech did not contain any references to disturb peace and law and order which was alleged by the Uttar Pradesh government when it foisted a case against Dr Khan.
The Uttar Pradesh government had weaved all types of strategies to retain Dr Khan in jail and even refused to provide records and files about the arrest. Now, with the arrest and release of Dr Khan, the ways in which the government is misusing the NSA is being discussed extensively. Many people like Dr Khan are rotting in jail for several years under the NSA. The Centre is trying to use the NSA to arrest whoever speaks out against the government’s anti-people policies and completely shut them. In recent years, the NSA is being slapped against the accused even in cow slaughter cases. The Bheem Army party leader Chandrashekar Azad was jailed in June 2017 and September 2018 without conducting any investigation.
Instances of the police misusing the NSA is increasing as the Act allows for imprisonment of the accused for long periods of time without conducting any investigation. This Act snatches away all rights of the accused who are imprisoned including that of appointing lawyers to fight the case and denying opportunities to find out any information about the reasons for the arrest. Analysts are of the opinion that the courts are also adopting delaying tactics while dismissing arrests under the NSA. In the case of Dr Khan, the court took nine months to dismiss his arrest which was completely politically motivated. There are two ways to stop the unlawful arrests under the NSA. One is to repeal the Act completely. Otherwise, political parties must pressurize the Centre against the misuse of the Act. Second, the higher judiciary must consider the arrests under the Act as ‘emergency‘ cases and prevent states from misusing the criminal justice system and extending the period of a person’s imprisonment. Most importantly, officials who are unilaterally using the NSA to imprison people must be handed out severe punishment. Unlawful arrests will end only when such Acts that give special powers to the police are struck down.
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Iqra aims to create leaders for community: Syed Mohammad Beary at Annual Day in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: “The aim of Iqra is to create leaders for the community,” said Syed Mohammad Beary while presiding over the Annual Day 2026 and Hifz felicitation programme of Iqra Arabic School, highlighting the institution’s focus on leadership and long-term community development.
Presiding over the event, Syed Mohamed Beary, Chairman of the Moulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi Educational and Charitable Trust, Mangaluru, spoke at length about the journey of the institution since its launch in 2000. He recalled the early days of the school and said it was started with a clear vision to serve the community through education rooted in values. He expressed pride in how the institution has grown over the years, both in strength and in its role within the community.
He said Iqra Arabic School was not built only to provide basic education, but to nurture individuals who can take responsibility and guide society. According to him, the institution has consistently worked towards shaping students into capable leaders who can face present-day challenges while staying connected to their roots. He stressed that the focus has always been on building character along with knowledge.
The programme was compered by Farhan Nadwi, who introduced the vision of the institution and said the school strives to prepare leaders and scholars who can respond to modern challenges faced by the community.
Chief guest Maqbool Kobatte, Principal, Jamia Islamia Bhatkal, congratulated the students and their parents for completing the memorisation of the Qur’an. He said these Huffaz are part of Allah’s promise of preserving the Qur’an until the Day of Judgement. He described the Qur’an as a guide for life and said while recitation is important, it is equally necessary to practise its teachings. He also noted that in the race for worldly success, people are moving away from values such as humanity, brotherhood and unity.
Taha Mateen, Chairman and Managing Director o ACURA Speciality Hospital, said the community should not forget its Islamic roots and history. He recited lines of poetry by Iqbal: “Kabhi ae nawjawaan Muslim tadabbur bhi kiya tu ne, wo kya gardu tha jiska tu hai ek toota hua taara.” He stressed the need to understand the Qur’an and recognise its importance, and urged students to continue learning across different fields without stopping at any stage. He congratulated the students, parents and the management.
Dr. C P Habeeb Rahman, Chairman and Managing Director o Unity Health Complex, Mangaluru said there is a need for introspection within the Muslim community to understand what has gone wrong and why it has fallen behind despite contributing to global civilisation. He also spoke about the lack of leadership within the community.
Students presented cultural programmes based on Islamic teachings during the event. Two of the books authored by the students of the institution were also released during the event
A total of 18 students who completed Hifz this year were felicitated and presented with mementos by the guests. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Moulana Salim Khalifa, the principal of the institution.
