PIL in Delhi High Court demanding Ved Pratap Vaidik's arrest for meeting Hafiz Saeed

NEW DELHI: A plea was today filed in the Delhi High Court seeking the arrest of journalist Ved Pratap Vaidik for meeting with 26/11 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in Pakistan earlier this month.

The PIL also seeks a probe by National Investigation Agency or Intelligence Bureau into the matter, saying it pertains to national security.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing next week. The PIL filed by an NGO, Gharib Nawaz Foundation, has sought directions to the central government to "immediately arrest Vaid Pratap Vaidik on the charges of sedition, treason and to investigate the reason of his meeting Saeed, the world's most wanted terrorist, mastermind of 26/11 Mumbai attack and President of banned organisation, Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), at his residence in Lahore."

The petition, filed through advocate Nawal Kishore Jha, also seeks cancellation of Vaidik's passport.

According to the petition, Vaidik was touring Pakistan with a group of politicians like Mani Shankar Aiyar, Salman Khurshid and others when he had met Hafiz.

The petition also submits that USA and UNO have declared Hafiz a global terrorist and a bounty of $ 10 million has been placed on his head.

USA has also piled sanctions on Jamaat-ud-Dawa, allegedly a front for LeT, the petition has said.

The NGO has also sought directions to the Centre to frame rules for citizens not to compromise national security while they are on tour abroad.