Court extends police custody of Advocate Deepak Khatri arrested in UAPA case

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday further remanded Advocate Deepak Khatri to five days of police custody. Delhi police sought a further 10 days of police custody. Khatri is a member of the Legal Team of Lawrence Bishnoi.

The Rouse Avenue court on Saturday further remanded Advocate Deepak Khatri to five days of police custody. Delhi police sought a further 10 days of police custody. Khatri is a member of the Legal Team of Lawrence Bishnoi. He was produced before the court after three days of police custody. He has been arrested in a UAPA case linked to illegal arms Supply and extortion.

Special Judge Anu Grover Baliga extended the police custody of Deepak Khatri for five days. Delhi police sought a further 10 days of custody. "After having considered the submissions made by all Counsels and after having gone through the case diary with respect to the present investigation connected with this accused, the prayer of the investigating agency is allowed to the extent that 5 days' police custody remand of accused Deepak Nanda alias Deepak Khatri is granted," Special Judge Baliga ordered on August 29.

The court directed that the investigating officer shall get conducted his medical examination after every 24 hours and file the medical documents before the court. On request of the accused and his counsel, it is hereby directed that the accused will be allowed to meet his two counsels for one hour after every 24 hours in the presence of the investigating officer, the court ordered.

It is also made clear that the investigating officials will not question the accused with respect to the privileged communication between him and his clients, the court said. Police said that further custody is required to analyse the 100 GB of data extracted from his phone. It was also said that the IB and NIA have interrogated the accused.

Advocates Neeraj, Vijay Bishnoi, Harish Chopra, Rohit Dalal, Nishant Rana and Rajni appeared for Accused Deepak Khatri and opposed the custody remand application. After hearing the submissions and perusing the case diary allowed further custody of five days. The court allowed a one-hour legal meeting. The court also directed that interrogation be conducted under video camera recording.

The court also said that if any other agencies like IB and NIA want to interrogate the accused, they will seek the permission of the court. The counsel of the accused had opposed, saying that the agencies interrogated the accused and this fact is not mentioned in the case diary. On August 26, the Rouse Avenue court granted three days of police custody of Advocate Deepak Khatri to the Delhi police crime branch in a case under UAPA, extortion and the Arms Act. Khatri is a member of the Legal team of Lawrence Bishnoi.

He has been arrested by the Crime Branch today and was produced before the court. He was apprehended at IGI Airport on August 25. While granting police custody, the court said Custodial interrogation is required as the allegations relate to National security and the nation itself.

"Thus, considering the gravity of the offence, criminal antecedents of the accused, the technicalities involved and in order to unearth the entire chain, I am satisfied that it is a fit case where the custodial interrogation of the accused is justified," the Special Judge said in the order passed on August 26. The court ordered, "Accordingly, the aforesaid application is allowed. Accused Deepak Nanda alias Deepak Khatri is remanded to three days' police custody remand."

The court noted that the submissions of Delhi Police that the accused has been named by the co-accused persons in their disclosure statement. The allegations pertain to the UAP Act and a threat to national security and the Nation itself. The court further noted that the applicant was previously also named in another case of similar nature registered by Special Cell in 2023, as mentioned in the grounds of arrest.

The court directed that the accused be produced before the concerned court on August 29, 2026. Legal meeting, if sought, be provided for 30 minutes after every 24 hours in the presence of the IO, if in Delhi. In view of the threat perception shown by the accused, the concerned is directed to ensure the safety of the accused during police custody, as per rules and as directed by the court.

While seeking five days of police custody, Delhi Police stated that a case was registered by the Crime Branch on March 13, 2026, and raids were conducted across different states. During the raids Total 18 accused persons were arrested, and 32 illegal semi-automatic pistols, two sub-machine guns, and 363 live cartridges were recovered from the possession of the accused persons. Therefore, five days' custodial remand of accused Deer Nanda alias Deepak Khatri is sought for custodial interrogation regarding the transnational arms racket, the role of co-accused persons and absconding associates.

The police said that the remand is required for recovery of prohibited arms and ammunition at the instance of Deepak Khatri, to confront him with his mobile data, for detailed interrogation and for fair and effective investigation. As per Police investigation, it has been revealed that those sophisticated arms and ammunition were being collected to create terror amongst the general public by indiscriminate firing during large public gatherings during certain events.

Police said that the chargesheet in the present case has already been filed against all the accused persons. The proceedings regarding LOC were initiated against the accused Deepak Khatri. On August 5, when the accused reached IGI Airport, he was apprehended. After sustained interrogation, accused Deepak Nanda was arrested in the present case. Reasons of arrest and grounds of arrest were given to him in writing.

Police stated that during interrogation, the accused disclosed that he is involved in the international terror module established and run by Shahbaz Ansari through Harshpal Singh Rubal and Nishant Arora. He also disclosed that he can assist in a thorough investigation of the case and also help in the arrest of other involved persons and divulging the modus operandi used by criminals, the police said.

While opposing the remand application, the Counsel for the accused submitted that the accused has been falsely implicated in the present case just to deter him from pursuing his case wherein he was attacked upon by some persons in collusion of the police officials of the Crime Branch. They further opposed the present application on the ground that, as per the law laid down by the Supreme Court ground of arrest and reason of arrest have to be communicated to the accused at least two hours prior to production of the accused before the court, which was not complied with. Thus, the accused is entitled to be released immediately.

It was also submitted that, in fact, the accused was kept at a place where there is no CCTV coverage and thus, he has apprehension of being tortured and even apprehension of threat of life. They further submitted that the applicant, in fact, represented the co-accused persons in the instant case and regularly appeared before the court; despite the same, he was neither intimated nor served with any notice, though, as per the prosecution, his name cropped up in the disclosure statement of the co-accused on March 21 itself. (ANI)