A Delhi court on Tuesday, 5 April, denied bail to Jamia Milia Islamia student Meeran Haider in a case related to communal riots in northeast Delhi in February 2020, reported Bar and Bench.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal youth wing leader was charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly hatching "larger conspiracy" to incite violence during the riots.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat passed the order dismissing Haider's bail petition. A detailed order regarding the same is yet to be made public.
The riots, prosecution argued, were planned meticulously so as to destroy property and disrupt essential services. So the conspiracy to incite violence fell under the criteria of "terrorist act" as prescribed under the Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, reported Live Law.
The other accused in the case are activists Khalid Saifi, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, educational consultant Tasleem Ahmad, former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, Pinjra Tod activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, student activists Gulfisha Fatima and Safoora Zargar.
On 24 March, a Delhi court had rejected the bail plea of activist Umar Khalid. Prior to that on 16 March, court had, rejected the bail pleas of Gulfisha Fatima and Tasleem Ahmed.
Background
Communal clashes were reported in northeast Delhi as protests had intensified against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in the national capital in February 2020.
Eighteen people have been named accused in this case, but only six have received bail so far. Of the six who have got bail, only Ishrat Jahan has been granted the same by a sessions court. Five others – Faizan Khan, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Natasha Narwal, and Devangana Kalita – had to go up to the Delhi High Court before they were granted any relief.
(With inputs from Live Law, Bar and Bench.)
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