E-Paper
Court dismisses bail plea of Narwal, Kalita
New Delhi
New Delhi
A Delhi court has dismissed the bail application of Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, members of Pinjra Tod, who arrested for their alleged role in the north-east Delhi riots, after considering the nature of the offences and the investigation conducted so far.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat declined to give bail to Narwal and Kalita, who have been charged with the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly hatching a conspiracy and playing an active role to orchestrate riots. The police had said they were a part of unlawful assembly that had caused riots.
The judge said the bail is being denied on the investigation conducted so far. He rejected an argument by the Public Prosecutor that Narwal lives in a rented accommodation and hence she cannot be released on bail.
Appearing for the police, the public prosecutor told the court that the statement of one of the witnesses show the alleged role of the accused in the northeast Delhi riots. He said that the name of the witness is not disclosed because he has to be protected.
The judge, after reading the statement, said, “The court has seen the statement of the witness and it does point to the active role and conspiracy of the accused in causing the riots.”
The court said that even though nothing has been mentioned about both the accused in the charge sheet filed by the police in the case so far, the investigating agency has mentioned that investigation is pending.
Advocate Adit S Pujari, counsel for the accused, argued that investigation was complete.
Kalita and Narwal, lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody, were arrested by Delhi Police in connection with a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad area in February. They have been separately arrested in other cases related to the riots.
Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and more than 400 injured.
