Amanatullah to face trial in child labour rescue case

NEWDELHI: A city court on Wednesday framed charges against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan for allegedly abetting the kidnapping of 15 child labourers when they were being rescued from weaving units here in 2010, paving the way for his trial in the case.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal put on trial the legislator and another accused, Saifiullah Siddiqui, after they appeared in the court and pleaded not guilty.

The court framed charges of abetting kidnapping and criminal intimidation to cause death or grievous hurt against the two accused. Both the offences entail a maximum punishment of seven years in jail, with or without fine.

It listed the matter for December 14 for commencing the trial by recording evidence. The trial court framed the charges after a sessions court on December 3 set aside an earlier order discharging Khan and Siddiqui.

“I will face the trial and will again be acquitted. There is no evidence against me and the police had made a false story, framing me. I did not indulge in any child labour,” Khan said.

The case relates to the rescue of 15 child labourers by the police and the NGO from Batla House, Jamia Nagar. However, a mob allegedly led by Khan and Siddiqui gathered at the spot, threatened to kill the rescuing team and forcibly took away the children.

The magisterial court had discharged the two accused as the police filed the charge sheet in 2016, six years after the lodging of the FIR, which was much beyond the permissible time limit.

Earlier, the court, setting aside an order discharging Khan, had said if the trial court had considered Section 473 (extension of period of limitation in certain cases) of the CRPC, “this court is hopeful that the trial court would have taken a contrary view considering that it was a case involving 15 child labourers who were rescued but again snatched back using criminal intimidation by the accused persons and it would have condoned the delay in the interest of justice”.