Kafeel Khan was charged by police for delivering a provocative speech in Aligarh Muslim University (File)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday claimed that Dr Kafeel Khan, who is charged under the National Security Act or NSA and is lodged at the Mathura jail, is "absolutely fine and fully secure" in the prison. The statement came two days after Dr Kafeel Khan's wife claimed that her husband faces a threat to life in the Mathura jail.
"Kafeel Khan, who has been charged under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged inflammatory statements during an anti-CAA protest in Aligarh, is absolutely fine and fully secure in Mathura jail. Allegations of 'inhuman' treatment being meted out to him are baseless," Mathura District Magistrate Sarvagya Ram Mishra said on Monday.
A senior police official of Mathura district jail, Shailendra Maitrey, said that his condition is being monitored every half an hour and the report is written in the gate book. Kafeel Khan's Electrocardiography (ECG) is normal and blood pressure was also in control.
He said that Kafeel Khan sought a checkup from a cardiologist.
"Since no specialist is available in the government sector in Mathura, his request could not be complied with. However, the jail authorities have sent his request to chief medical officer and have asked him to make a specialist available," the jail official said.
He said Kafeel Khan is in barrack, which is fully ventilated, and he shares it with 50-60 'good behaviour' prisoners.
Last week, in a letter to the Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), and Director General (Jail), Shabista Khan, wife of the jailed doctor, had alleged that her husband was being treated inhumanely in the jail.
She feared that an attempt could be made on her husband's life inside the jail. She had demanded adequate security for him and had urged that her husband should be kept away from active criminals lodged in the jail.
He was charged by Aligarh police on December 13, for delivering a provocative speech in Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), during an anti-CAA protest in the campus, a day earlier, and was arrested from Mumbai airport on January 29 by Uttar Pradesh special task force.
The Aligarh police had charged him under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) on February 13 night, hours before he was expected to walk free from the Mathura jail, after he was granted bail by Aligarh's chief judicial magistrate on February 10.