A local court in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow on Saturday granted bail to social activists Sadaf Jafar and Pawan Rao Ambedkar, former police officer SR Darapuri and nine others arrested after the violent anti-citizenship act protests last month.
All of them are likely to come out of jail on Monday after paying a personal bond of ₹50,000 each.
Hazratganj Police had booked Jafar, the only woman arrested, and others on December 19 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1932.
The matter had come up for hearing in the court of additional district judge (ADJ) Sanjay Shankar Pandey on Friday. After hearing the defence and prosecution counsels, the court had reserved the order for Saturday.
They had approached judge Pandey’s court after the chief judicial magistrate rejected their bail applications on December 23.
Appearing on behalf of Jafar, her lawyer Harjot Singh had on Friday apprised the court that there was no proof of her involvement in the violence. Sanjeev Pandey, who represented retired Indian Police Service officer Darapuri and Ambedkar, also put in the same argument.
During the hearing on Friday, the court asked the prosecution for proof of involvement of Sadaf, Darapuri and Ambedkar in the violence.
{{/usCountry}}During the hearing on Friday, the court asked the prosecution for proof of involvement of Sadaf, Darapuri and Ambedkar in the violence.
{{/usCountry}}The prosecution informed the court there was no photograph to prove their direct involvement in the violence as there was “so much smoke billowing from vehicles burnt in the violence that no photograph could be taken.”
After hearing the defence and prosecution counsel, the judge had reserved his order for Saturday morning.
A petition was also filed on Thursday in the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court for quashing the first information report or FIR against Jafar, calling her arrest illegal. The high court has asked the state government to file its reply within two weeks on the petition.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had last Sunday lashed out at the UP government, saying it had “crossed all limits of inhumanity”.
“The police have put Sadaf in jail by making baseless allegations,” Gandhi tweeted on Sunday as she met her family members.
More than 100 people were arrested after the December 19 protests, including prominent human rights lawyer Mohammed Shoaib, Darapuri and Jafar.
Those named in the first information reports were booked for rioting, unlawful assembly, attempt to murder, wrongful constraints, criminal intimidation, criminal assault on public servant etc.