Booked Indore college principal says ‘controversial’ law publication bought five years before he took charge

The principal of a government law college in Indore in Madhya Pradesh against whom a case has been registered in connection with a book that allegedly encourages religious fundamentalism on Monday said he is innocent as the publication was bought by the facility before he took charge.

The incident had come to the fore when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, on Thursday, protested claiming the book ‘Collective Violence and Criminal Justice System’ by Dr Farhat Khan contained objectionable remarks against Hindus, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, as well as negative content about the Union government and the armed forces.

Police had said they had charged four people, including college principal Dr Inam-ur-Rahman, under Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence), 295-A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) and other sections on the complaint of LLM students of Government New Law College and ABVP leader Lucky Adiwal (28).

Others named in the case registered on Saturday were author Dr Farhat Khan, publishing house Amar Law Publication and professor Mirza Mojiz Baig, police had said.

“I was posted as college principal in 2019 and this book was bought in 2014. I have nothing to do with its placement in the library. The FIR against me is unfortunate. I have been booked but not the library head,” Dr Inam-Ur-Rahman said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rajesh Kumar Singh said the role of others was also being probed, adding that none of the four named in the case have been arrested as yet.

Complainant Adiwal said the Higher Education Department must conduct an impartial inquiry.

Incidentally, after the ABVP protest on Thursday, the college principal had said he had removed six professors from academic work for five days and decided to investigate the allegations by a retired district court judge.