NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued a notice to Tihar Jail authorities and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) regarding a plea filed by Hurriyat leader Naeem Ahmad Khan. Khan sought restoration of the Inmate Phone Call System (IPCS) and e-Mulaqat facility, which were revoked following his transfer to Central Jail No 3 in Tihar Jail, in late 2023. A bench led by Justice Sachin Datta has sought responses from concerned authorities and scheduled the matter for further hearing on March 18, 2025.
Khan argued that he had access to IPCS and e-Mulaqat during his six-year stay in Central Jail No 8/9. However, after being moved to a different prison wing, these privileges were withdrawn without any formal explanation. The plea claims that the jail superintendent arbitrarily revoked these facilities, citing absence of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the NIA.
The petition further alleges that the NIA has neither provided a reason for withholding the NOC nor a legal basis for requiring it. The agency has reportedly stated before the trial court that no law mandates prosecuting agencies to grant such clearance.
Khan, arrested on July 24, 2017, in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case, remains in judicial custody as an under-trial. Charges were formally framed against him on May 10, 2022, under multiple sections of IPC and the UAPA.