Sedition case: Delhi High Court grants interim protection against coercive action to Delhi Minorities Commission chairman Zafarul Islam Khan till June 22

In a major relief for Zafarul Islam Khan, Chairperson of the Delhi Minorities Commission (DMC), the Delhi High Court on Tuesday (May 12) ordered the police to not take any coercive measures against him in a FIR with the charges of sedition over an alleged controversial statement on social media.

The High Court granted interim protection to 72-year-old Islam till June 22, 2020. The Court passed the direction while hearing the anticipatory bail petition filed by advocate Vrinda Grover on Islam's behalf.

Islam stirred a big controversy with his latest Facebook post, where he threatened "Hindutva bigots" of complaining to "Arab countries and the Muslim world" about the "hate campaigns and lynchings and riots in India". The DMC Chairman also said that "bigots will face an avalanche".

In one of his recent social media posts, Islam Khan wrote, "Tablighi inmates and many others have completed 28 days in corona isolation, rather detention centre, which is twice the mandatory 14 days quarantine period for corona suspects as per US and WHO guidelines. Keeping people in isolation, who tested negative and spent twice the mandatory period in corona isolation centres, is tantamount to illegal detention."

In another post, he wrote, "Govt happy to take plasma of Tablighis but lock them inside flats like hardcore criminals." He also termed quarantining Tablighi Jamaat workers as "illegal detention". 

On Wednesday (May 6), Delhi Police's Special Cell had to face massive protest during their visit to Islam's residence in Jamia Nagar. The Special Cell had to return without even starting the probe.