The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Delhi Commissioner of Police in an appeal by Aam Aadmi Party MLA Amanatullah Khan challenging the opening of ‘history sheet’ against him, declaring him as a ‘bad character’, LiveLaw reported.
A history sheet is a colonial practice of maintaining a record of people with alleged criminal activity by police forces. The lawmaker also had instances in which he had served jail time before getting bail.
In the petition, Khan pointed out that he is neither a convict nor a proclaimed offender.
Khan, a representative from New Delhi’s Jamia Nagar, has had many run-ins with Delhi Police, administrated by the Union Government. In May 2022, a case was registered against him for protesting against the demolition of homes and shops by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation in his constituency.
The matter was before a division bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Dipankar Datta.
According to LiveLaw, He stated that a file containing the proposal to open a History Sheet against him was widely circulated on social media with a ‘mala fide intention’ to sabotage his bail hearing. The petitioner highlighted that he was discharged by the trial court in the case taken by the Delhi Police against him over the protests.
Out of the 18 cases which are cited to be the basis for the opening of the history sheet, Khan says that he has been acquitted or discharged in 14 cases.
