Delhi violence: Court orders release of student activists in UAPA case

A Delhi court ordered an immediate release of student activists Natasha Narwal, Devangna Kalita and Jamia's Asif Iqbal Tanha. They were granted bail by Delhi High Court on June 15 in the northeast Delhi riots case.

New Delhi: Delhi's Karkardooma Court on Thursday ordered to release of Pinjra Tod activists Natasha Narwal, Devangna Kalita and Jamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha who were granted bail by Delhi High Court on June 15 in connection with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case of North East of Delhi Violence. Additional Sessions Judge Ravinder Bedi while passing the order noted that apropos the reason forwarded by the Investigation Officer that verification of the accused's permanent address would need time. The court said, "I would say that this by itself cannot be a plausible reason for the accused to be kept imprisoned till the time such reports are filed."

"Since the verification of the permanent address of accused shall require some time, let the Report to this effect be filed by Investigation Officer on or before June 23, 2021, at 2.30 pm with the concerned court," the court added. Meanwhile delayed in getting release order by the trial court, Advocate Sidharth Aggarwal appearing for the accused moved to Delhi High Court and submitted that the order of bail which was passed on June 15 is still not implemented. Special Public Prosecutor Advocate Amit Prasad in Delhi High Court submitted, "we are only following the orders of this court."

"Address of the appellants was to be verified. Addresses provided to us are of different states. We don't have magical powers that we will verify all of this, addresses in Jharkhand, Assam in such a short time. That's why application seeking more time to verification procedure was moved," said Amit Prasad. Karkardooma Court on Wednesday kept the reserved order on issuing an order on the application seeking immediate release of Pinjra Tod activists Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal from judicial custody. Delhi Police had sought more time to verify the particulars of the accused and sureties.

Earlier on June 15, the trial court asked the SHO concerned to submit a verification Report relating to particulars of the accused and sureties. In three separate orders, the Delhi High Court has granted bail to Pinjra tod activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Jamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha. All of them were arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, in connection with northeast Delhi violence cases. Kalita and Narwal were arrested in the subject FIR on May 29, 2020, and Tanha was arrested on May 19, 2020, in the present case.

(ANI)