AAP leader Khetan moves SC post receiving threats from 'right-wing' groups

Khetan's plea would be heard on June 5 said vacation bench of Justice Rao and Justice Sinha

AAP leader Ashish Khetan on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking police protection in the wake of threats he has received allegedly from "right-wing" organisations.

Not inclined to give an urgent hearing, the vacation bench of Justice L.Nageswara Rao and Justice Navin Sinha said that the plea would be heard on June 5 after lawyer Sunil Fernandes mentioned the petition.

As Vice-Chairman of the Dialogue and Development Commission, Khetan enjoys status of cabinet minister in Delhi government.

Telling the court that his right to free speech, life and liberty was under threat, he said that neither the Delhi Police nor the Union Home Minister have so far acted on his complaint.

He has sought court monitored probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the threats to him and the framing of guidelines that the police should follow to investigate the complaints by the citizens receiving death threats.

Describing himself as a journalist, social activist and one of the prominent members of the Aam Aadmi Party, Khetan said, in his petition, that he has a "genuine and reasonable basis to believe that radical right wing extremist organisations are planning to eliminate him on the lines similar to the recent murders of noted rationalist and public intellectual like Dr. Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi".

He has said in his petition that because of his "investigative articles and forthright condemnation of the criminal and anti-national activities of extreme RWE organisations including that of Sanatan Sanstha in July 2016 he received anonymous letter threatening him with dire consequences".

Khetan has said that Sanatan Sanstha in its mouthpiece "Dainik Sanatan Prabhat" had in June 2016 had written that he should be taught a lesson.

"The threat is a chilling reminder of the growing confidence of the anti-national and fascists forces who want to exterminate all dissenting voices with violence," the petition reads.