HC allows advance hearing of Tanha's bail plea in UAPA case

new delhi: The Delhi High Court Friday allowed a plea by Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha, arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, seeking advancement of his bail petition in connection with a case related to larger conspiracy in the north-east Delhi riots last year.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and A J Bhambhani advanced the date of hearing Tanha's petition from March 12 to February 25.

The court allowed the early hearing application noting that special public prosecutors Amit Mahajan and Amit Prasad fairly did not oppose the plea.

Advocate Sowjhanya Shankaran, representing Tahna, sought advancement of the date of hearing of the petition on the ground that he is a student and has already undergone detention for 263

days.

Tanha has challenged a trial court's October 26, 2020 order by which his bail application was dismissed on the ground that he allegedly played an active role in the entire conspiracy and that there were reasonable grounds for believing that the allegations against were prima facie true.

Tanha was arrested in the case in May last year for allegedly being part of a premeditated conspiracy in the riots.

The high court, while allowing the early hearing application, directed the parties to complete the pleading before the next date, that is, February 25.

The high court has sought response from the Delhi Police on Tanha's bail plea.

Tanha's counsel has sought bail saying that he has been in custody since May 2020 and even the charge sheet has been filed.