Questions have been raised over why educator Faizal Khan or Khan Sir has not been arrested despite being named in a FIR on charges related to attempt to murder, among others. (File Photo)
A Patna court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to educator and YouTuber Faizal Khan, popularly known as ‘Khan Sir’, in a case related to a firing incident outside his coaching institute in the city last week, his lawyer said.
The anticipatory bail matter came up before the principal district and sessions judge, who, after hearing the case, issued a stay on Khan’s arrest and fixed June 20 as the next date of hearing.
“Interim protection has been granted to Khan Sir,” the YouTuber’s counsel, advocate Arvind Kumar Mouar, said, adding that the court sought his “criminal antecedents and an updated case diary” from the police.
Khan has been accused of asking his security guards to fire at a crowd after violence outside his Khan Global Studies (KGS) coaching centre.
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The order comes amid questions over why he had not been arrested despite being named in a First Information Report (FIR) registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to an attempt to murder and sections of the Arms Act. Raushan Anand, director of Gyan Bindu Coaching Institute and an accused in the counter-FIR linked to the same incident, was arrested shortly after the case against him was registered.
The Indian Express had on Monday sought responses from Patna Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya K Sharma and City SP (Central) Diksha on the status of the investigation and the reasons for Khan’s non-arrest, but no response was received.
The case stems from violence that broke out outside the KGS coaching centre in Patna’s Musallahpur Haat area on the night of June 2. According to police, a group of 15 to 20 people allegedly related to Gyan Bindu Coaching vandalised the institute, hurled stones, and assaulted a security guard, Chun Chun, who sustained a head injury.
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The original FIR, lodged on the complaint of KGS manager Kanhaiya Kumar Singh, named Anand, Prince, Abhishek, Gaurav and several unidentified persons. The complaint alleged that the accused assaulted the guard, damaged property, tore down signboards and threatened to “blow up” the coaching institute within two days. It also claimed that tensions had arisen after the Bihar Police constable recruitment results, in which KGS allegedly recorded a higher number of successful candidates.
The police subsequently arrested Anand and two other accused linked to the attack.
Investigators had earlier said preliminary information suggested rivalry between coaching institutes over competing claims regarding the recruitment examination results. While following the attack, Khan had claimed that “eight to ten rounds of gunfire were fired outside the institute” and alleged that individuals linked to a rival coaching centre were behind the attack, the Patna police had initially denied any firing incident.
The investigation took a different turn after videos surfaced allegedly showing two KGS security guards firing outside the institute. The guards were detained, questioned, and later arrested. The police said the guards allegedly told investigators that Khan and others had instructed them to open fire on the crowd.