Image Courtesy:theprint.in
It is no secret that Dr Kafeel Khan has been a thorn in the side for the Adityanath regime in Uttar Pradesh. Ever since he helped save lives of infants and toddlers at the BRD Medical College fiasco where over 70 children were killed due to lack of oxygen, the government has come up with new reasons to keep the good doctor behind bars.
However, in times of a pandemic when Dr Khan could have been at the forefront of helping check the spread of the disease and offer medical services to underprivileged and underserved communities, the government is still reluctant to set him free. At present Dr. Khan remains behind bars at the Mathura jail under trumped up charges under the draconian National Security Act (NSA).
Now, his wife Shabista has penned a letter to a forum for doctors and medical professionals asking them to stand by her husband and sharing her anguish at her husband’s prolonged captivity. She highlights his previous contribution to helping control disease outbreak writing, “Dr Kafeel became a renowned Health Care worker by conducting more 100 free medical camps at the remotest places in India. His campaigns at the time of chamki fever at Bihar (2019), Kerala floods (2018), Bihar floods 2019, Nipah Virus Outbreak (2018) in Kerala are few noticeable ones.”
Doctor Khan had also raised his voice against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the regime once again trained their crosshairs on him.
On the reason behind his latest incarceration she writes, “My husband took part in few CAA-NRC protest but he was again singled out by U.P. government to slap N.S.A on him when the C.J.M. Aligarh granted him bail.” She adds, “He had been continuously pleading the government to let him work & use his experience at such critical times of Covid -19 crisis but still his N.S.A is not revoked after three months of incarceration.”
The entire letter, edited for clarity, may be read below:
Dear All,
I am wife of Dr Kafeel Khan – I want to bring to your notice the grave injustice done to my husband for the past two years – Currently he is lodged in Mathura jail as illegal N.S.A is slapped on him.
Dr Kafeel became a renowned Health Care worker by conducting more 100 free medical camps at the remotest places in India. His campaigns at the time of chamki fever at Bihar (2019), Kerala floods (2018), Bihar floods 2019, Nipah Virus Outbreak (2018) in Kerala are few noticeable ones.
He had served in his purest capacity as a loyal & committed Doctor of the country but still he is being continuously targeted as a scapegoat for highlighting administrative & infrastructure failure of Indian health system.
BRD Oxygen tragedy was the starting point of his victimisation as he just acted as a whistle-blower for non stoppage of Oxygen supply on that dreaded night on which 70 innocent kids lost their lives. He was later forced to (go to) jail to save few high-level health officials, later respected High Court granted him bail and mentioned that there is no evidence of medical negligence on his part. He was given clean chit in the departmental enquiry as well but still our targeted victimisation continued.
My husband took part in few CAA-NRC protest but he was again singled out by U.P. government to slap N.S.A on him when the C.J.M. Aligarh granted him bail.
He had been continuously pleading the government to let him work & use his experience at such critical times of Covid -19 crisis but still his N.S.A is not revoked after three months of incarceration.
I know its a forum to share professional information but i sincerely expect our Doctors team to stand with him.
Regards
Shabista Khan
(W/O Dr Kafeel Khan)
Dr. Kafeel Khan
M.B.B.S, M.D (Paediatrics)
Suspended -Lecturer, Dept of Paediatric
BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur.
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