A teacher of Zakir Hussain College of Delhi University, Shri Abdul Rehman Geelani was arrested soon after the 13th December 2002 attack on Parliament. The basis of arrest was that one of the accused had called him up over a cellphone within hours of the attack. Geelani has consistently stated that while the accused is known to him- both are Kashmiris- he himself is totally innocent, and has neither direct not indirect connection with the attack on Parliament House.

Recently around 200 teachers of various colleges under Delhi University have come forward to jointly and publicly express their concern over the violations of Geelani's rights. Arrested under POTA, he has been visited by civil rights activists and several teachers in prison (Tihar). He has detailed to them how he was initially detained in police custody and subjected to severe physical torture. This includes being stripped and then hung upside down, being brutally beaten and abused in communal terms. He was made to sign several sheets of blank paper, where no doubt his 'confession' and 'admission' will be written. He was also coerced to make a statement that he was not tortured. Infact, when produced before a Magistrate, as several high ranking police officers were also present, fearing further torture he kept quiet on the subject of the torture he had undergone.

Initially lodged in Ward no. 8 of Tihar Jail (Delhi) he has now been shifted to Ward no. 2. To teachers who met him, he has expressed apprehensions of a threat to his life in this ward which houses those charged with heinous crimes. For three days his wife and two minor children (a girl aged 10 years and a son who is six years old) were detained at Lodhi Road Police Station and relatives were not told about their whereabouts.

No evidence has as yet been filed against Geelani. However in the atmosphere after 13th December, when such issues have been designated almost 'touch me nots', to raise questions regarding his continued detention is almost like treading on sacred ground. Yet concerned teachers have issued an appeal that the Delhi University Teachers Association should ensure that Geelani's fundamental rights are honoured and that he should not be detained baselessly.