UP government takes UAPA accused Atiq Ur Rehman to AIIMS following Allahabad High Court's intervention

  • Salil Tiwari
  • 03:07 PM, 24 Nov 2021

Read Time: 05 minutes

Amid ongoing proceedings in Allahabad High Court on a plea filed by his father-in-law seeking Court's urgent directions, UAPA accused Atiq-ur-Rehman has been taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for his medical treatment today.

Lawbeat has learned that the Uttar Pradesh Government decided to take Rehman to the medical institute post the High Court's intervention in the matter.

On Tuesday, the bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Subhash Vidyarthi had sought the State Government's response to the plea seeking a direction to respondents to forthwith admit Rehman to AIIMS, New Delhi for Surgical Intervention (Bentall Procedure) due to his fatal Aortic Regurgitation Condition.

Rehman was held by UP Police on October 5 2020 on his way to Hathras, Uttar Pradesh along with Kerala journalist Siddique Kappan and two others while he was heading to meet the family of a gang-rape victim.

Rehman was booked under Sections 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and for sedition under Section 124-A of Indian Penal Code (IPC), promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion under Section 153-A IPC, deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings under Section 295-A IPC and Section 65, 72 and 75 of the Information Technology Act.

The instant plea (that was moved in a Habeas Corpus plea already filed on account of Rehman's unlawful judicial custody) had alleged that despite repeated orders of Sessions Judge/Special Court, PMLA, Lucknow, Rehman had been kept deprived of proper care and medical facilities.

It had also been submitted by the petitioners that Rehman has a long history of severe cardiac ailments for which he had been undergoing treatment at AIIMS, New Delhi, prior to his captivity in District Jail, Mathura.

Against this backdrop, the court in its November 23 order had noted that in spite of repeated orders of the Special Court (on September 23 and October 12), adequate medical facility had not been provided to Rehman. 

Therefore, on the request of the Additional Government Advocate (AGA), the Court passed over the case for enabling him to seek necessary instructions in the matter and directed that matter be again listed on November 25 for further hearing.

The plea filed by Rehman's father-in-law also prays that Rehman should be enlarged on bail on account of his exigent and precarious medical emergency. 

As per the Court's order, this matter will be put up on November 25 at 2:00 PM under the additional cause list.

Cause Title: Atiq Ur Rehman And 2 Others v. State of U.P. and Another