Delhi riots: HC rejects police’s appeal against bail granted to ex-Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal filed by the police challenging the bail granted to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 riots in the capital, Bar and Bench reported.

Jahan was granted bail in the case in 2022.

While hearing the appeal against her bail, a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja said that over four years had passed since the former councillor was granted bail by a special court.

There was nothing to show that she had violated any of the bail conditions, it added.

The case pertains to clashes that had broken out in North East Delhi from February 23 to February 26, 2020, between supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it, leaving 53 dead and hundreds injured. Most of those killed were Muslims.

Several activists were arrested between January 2020 and September 2020 in connection with the violence. The accused were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The Delhi Police have claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government and was planned by those who organised the protests against the amended...

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