Delhi violence: HC denies Ishrat Jahan extension of interim bail

She had sought extension on the ground that her husband and she had symptoms of Covid-19. She was earlier granted week’s interim bail till June 19 for her wedding.

A Delhi court on Friday refused further extension of interim bail to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for her alleged role in the February riots in north-east Delhi.

Ishrat Jahan is one of the accused in the UAPA case registered by the Special Cell of the city police to probe the riots that had in which over 50 people had died and more than 400 injured. (@ishratjj/Twitter)

She had sought extension on the ground that her husband and she had symptoms of Covid-19. She was earlier granted week’s interim bail till June 19 for her wedding.

Additional sessions judge Dharmender Rana directed Jahan to surrender in jail on Friday and asked the jail superintendent to ensure adequate medical care. Jahan, through advocate Lalit Valecha, had earlier sought extension for seven days interim bail granted till June 19 for her to get married.

“Considering the totality of circumstances, especially the opinion of the doctor and the nature of offence, no ground for extension of interim bail is made out in favour of the accused (Jahan),” the judge said.

Valecha said that Jahan married on June 12 and subsequently her husband came in contact with a relative who tested positive. Following this, the doctor advised the husband to test for the virus.

The Delhi Police, opposing the plea, filed a report and stated that the concerned doctor has not prescribed any Covid-19 test and that it was a case of flu.

“I have no specific reasons to doubt the report of the IO or the advice of the concerned medical expert. It is a settled principle of law that interim bail can only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Mere apprehensions cannot constitute a valid ground for extension of interim bail,” the judge said.

Jahan, is one of the accused in the UAPA case registered by the Special Cell of the city police to probe the riots that had in which over 50 people had died and more than 400 injured. While the local police and crime branch are investigating at least 750 cases related to the riots, the special cell(anti terror unit) of the force had registered a separate case in FIR to probe the alleged larger conspiracy behind the riots in north east Delhi.

Besides Jahan, student activists Asif Iqbal Tanha, Gulfisha Khatoon, Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU scholars Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita and former JNU student Umar Khalid have also been booked under the anti-terror law in the case.

Police have alleged that the riots was a conspiracy by people such as Hussain, Umar Khalid(not arrested) and Khalid Saifi among others, who mobilised people under the garb of holding anti-citizenship Amendment Act protests across the city. All the accused persons and their lawyers have denied the police’s allegations and said that police have launched a witchhunt against anti-CAA protesters.

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Friday asked the city police to consider a representation by Pinjra Tod member Devangana Kalita, arrested for her alleged involvement in the north-east Delhi riots, who approached court seeking video conferencing facilities with her lawyers because the legal meetings with private lawyers or meetings with family members in the prison have been suspended due to Covid-19. Only counsels of the Delhi State Legal Services Authority(DSLSA) are allowed to meet inmates.

She had also sought books in the jail. On Friday, advocate Rahul Mehra, standing counsel of Delhi government (criminal), and advocate Chaitanya Gosain, told the court that books were already given to her.