The Delhi High Court on January 19 dismissed a plea by Aam Aadmi Party’s Amanatullah Khan challenging the Delhi Police decision to list him as ‘bad character’ after opening the ‘history sheet’ against him.

Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain, however, said he will have the liberty to make a representation before the authorities concerned to remove the bad character tag.

The judge, while pronouncing the verdict, said the DCP concerned has given reasons in support of the action against the Delhi lawmaker as per law.

The Delhi Police had declared Khan, the Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Okhla, a bad character last year.

During the course of hearings, Advocate M Sufian Siddiqui appearing for Khan had submitted before the court that the act of Delhi Police of opening the history sheet was a brazen abuse of the process of law.

He had also contended that the action was in contravention of the provisions of the Police Rules which state that there has to be confidentiality in the whole process.

"Instead of notifying the petitioner, they have circulated it in the media. It shows the mala fide conduct of Delhi Police. It vitiates the process including names of family members," he had argued.

Police said applicable rules were duly followed by the authorities and the decision was arrived at given the material on record and after application of mind.  
    
The proposal for declaring Khan a bad character was sent on March 28 by the Jamia Nagar police station in the Southeast district and approved on March 30.
    
A total of 18 FIRs have been registered against Khan, the document stated.
    
According to police, a person who is involved in multiple criminal cases, including murder and attempt to murder, and can disturb peace in an area, can be designated a bad character.

Image source: PTI