New Delhi: Delhi High Court Friday refused to grant an urgent hearing on a plea by rights activist Mohammad Wasiq Nadeem Khan seeking orders against alleged illegal detention by police to prevent him from attending a peaceful protest at Jantar Mantar on Sept 29 against repeated attacks on places of worship.His counsel mentioned the plea urging the court to list it for hearing during the day, saying there was an apprehension that Khan could again be detained and put under house arrest while he has to catch a flight Friday for travelling to Kolkata. A bench of acting Chief Justice Nitin Wasudeo Sambre and Justice Sanjay Sharma, however, said it would be heard on Oct 12.The counsel said the matter was emergent, involving an aspect of personal liberty, and Khan was apprehending detention by Delhi Police again ahead of Saturday’s protest over Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls as he had received an oral communication.The lawyer claimed that Khan was not participating in the protest in any manner and he already had tickets booked for travelling to Kolkata Friday. She said Khan was put under house arrest earlier as well and that he was seeking protection against alleged arbitrary detention and, if the plea was not heard today, it would become infructuous.The bench, however, said, “Who has stopped you from travelling? There is no written communication that you should not travel or that you will be put under house arrest. On the basis of some call you are saying that we should pass some order. Sorry. We will hear you. Not today, but Monday.”Khan, the national secretary of Association of Protection of Civil Rights and the founder of United Against Hate initiative, has alleged he was confined at the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind headquarters in Abul Fazal Enclave by personnel attached to Shaheen Bagh police station on Sept 29 from around 9.30am to 5.30pm to prevent him from participating in the protest.Khan has also challenged a prohibitory order restricting public gatherings in New Delhi district.
