Delhi Police moves Supreme Court against bail given to 3 student activists in riots case

June 17: Delhi Police on Wednesday approached the Supreme court against the Delhi High Court’s decision to grant bail to Pinjra Tod activists Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha in last year’s Delhi riots cases. They were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The riots broke out after protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act turned violent.

Delhi Police moved the Supreme Court for an immediate stay of Delhi high court orders on bail to the three student activists claiming that the orders were not only “perverse” but also based on a “social media narrative”. It also simultaneously filed an application in a Delhi court seeking time to verify the addresses of the three, and their Aadhaar numbers before it can go ahead with the formalities of their release. If the apex court hears the appeal on Thursday and stays the high court’s order, the three activists will remain in jail — where they have been since last May.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court Tuesday had granted bail to two JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita and a Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha saying in its anxiety to suppress dissent, the State has blurred the line between right to protest and terrorist activity and if such a mindset gains traction, it would be a “sad day for democracy”.