Delhi riots: HC dismisses ex-councillor Ishrat Jahan’s plea in UAPA case

The Delhi high court Friday dismissed a plea by former Congress municipal councillor Ishrat Jahan, booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in

The Delhi high court Friday dismissed a plea by former Congress municipal councillor Ishrat Jahan, booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a case related to the north-east Delhi riots, challenging a lower court order extending the time for completing the investigation by 60 more days.

HT Image

Jahan was arrested on February 26 and is currently lodged in the Tihar jail.

Justice Suresh Kait, while rejecting Jahan’s plea filed through advocates Lalit Valecha, said the trial court has passed the order for extension of time for probe after going through the facts and circumstances and the provisions of the UAPA.

“Therefore, I am of the view that there is no illegality or perversity in the said order... Accordingly, finding no merit in the present petition, the same is dismissed with no order as to costs,” Kait said.

The court said the trial court had formed an opinion after studying the case diary, hearing of submissions and satisfying the requirement of law.

“The court, therefore, has considered all relevant circumstances for passing the order granting the extension of period of investigation,” the judge said in a 19-page judgment.

Delhi Police, through counsels Amit Mahajan and Rahul Mehra, had also opposed the plea saying that the high court should not intervene in the matter as far as the order of the additional sessions judge, extending the time to probe the case, is concerned as there was no infirmity in it..