NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday discharged AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in an alleged case in which he was accused of kidnapping and obstructing public officials from rescuing child labourers.
“The time taken by Delhi Police to investigate this case proved to be fatal to the case of prosecution. The investigation has been done in a belated, lethargic and lackadaisical manner over a prolonged period of time,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal observed, reported Time f India.
On November 1, 2010, teams were constituted and reached Jamia Nagar and Batla House and rescued 15 child labourers from zari units in south Delhi.
While the then sub-division magistrate leading the rescue operation, it was alleged that Khan and his associate obstructed and assaulted a public servant during the operation.
An FIR was registered in Jamia Nagar police station. Khan and his aide were also chargesheeted under sections 186, 353 AND 506 of the IPC.
The court pointed out that, “For all these offences, the limitation period for filing the charge sheet was three years but the charge sheet was filed after five years…Therefore, I’m of the view that cognisance of offences under sections 186, 353 AND 506 of the IPC was barred by the law of limitation,” reported leading news agency.
“Their employers or the rescue team cannot be said to be the guardian of these children. These children were already with their employers and if any offence of kidnapping is to be attributed, then it has to be on their employers,” observed the court.