HC asks Centre to place guidelines on threat complaints

The Delhi High Court today asked the Centre to place before it the guidelines and procedures adopted when a citizen complains of having received threats to his life.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar sought the information during the hearing of a plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Ashish Khetan alleging death threat from right-wing organisations.
Khetan also sought framing of guidelines to be adopted by the probe agencies to deal with such complaints.
Taking note of the submission, the bench asked the counsel for the Centre whether there were any guidelines in this regard.

It directed the authorities to file a report regarding the way they assessed threat perception of an individual and provide security and fixed the matter for further hearing on December 12.
Meanwhile, the police told the court that there was no threat perception to AAP leader. It, however, said the leader has been given a personal security officer for his safety.

To this, Khetan's counsel sarcastically replied that the PSO stays with him from 8 AM to 8 PM only and takes off on Sundays. "What about threat to my life before 8 AM and after 8 PM and on Sundays. Who will be responsible for it", he asked.

The Supreme Court had earlier refused to interfere in the matter and transferred the plea to the high court.
The AAP leader's counsel had said neither the police, nor its chief had responded to his complaint despite Khetan holding the rank of a cabinet minister. Nobody has given him a hearing, he had said.
"All I am asking is that these threats should be investigated. Such threats are coming due to the atmosphere nowadays," the petition has said.
Khetan had moved the apex court on May 24 and sought protection alleging threats. He had said that on May 9, he had received a threat letter written in Hindi at his office stating that his death was imminent.

"The language and content of this letter is similar to the threatening article published by Sanatan Prabhat against Narendra Dabholkar, both before and after he was killed.
"The threat is a chilling reminder of the growing confidence of the anti-national and fascist forces who want to exterminate all dissenting voices," the plea has alleged.
Khetan, who is the vice chairman of the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi, had sought a ban on right- wing organisation, Sanatan Sanstha, and a CBI probe monitored by the court into the alleged death threat.