Delhi HC seeks police's stand in RJD leader's bail plea in riots case

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the Delhi Police's stand on a bail plea by Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) youth wing leader and Jamia Millia Islamia student Meeran in the UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the riots here in February 2020.

A bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Mini Pushkarna issued notice on the bail plea and granted four weeks to the investigating agency to file its status report.

The trial court had dismissed Haider's bail application last month.

Haider and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code in the case for being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.

Besides Haider, the police have also charge-sheeted former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, United Against Hate activist Khalid Saifi, former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, Pinjra Tod activists Gulfisha Fatima, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, and Devangana Kalita and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain in the case.

The bail applications of Khalid and Imam are already pending before the high court.

The police have claimed that a large number of students, ex-students, and other members of a particular community participated in the anti-CAA(Citizenship Amendment Act) rally.

They alleged that the accused hatched a common conspiracy by calling for a march, leading a mob, and instigating communal feelings.

Attack on the police personnel, damage to police and public/private property, stone-pelting, and arson took place on the barricade/police party stationed outside Jamia campus, they said.

The matter would be held next on July 21.