HC lists for hearing on July 11 Delhi Police appeal against bail to Ishrat Jahan

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday listed for hearing on July 11 a plea by Delhi Police against the bail granted to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan in the case concerning the larger conspiracy behind the riots of February 2020 in the city's north-east area.

Justice Anu Malhotra directed that appeal of the investigating agency, which assails the trial court order of March 14, be listed before a division bench on Monday.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad said that since the plea concerns the offences under the UAPA, it should be heard by a division bench as per the law. He further informed that the bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul was already hearing the bail plea by co-accused Umar Khalid.

"Subject to orders of the Chief Justice, proceedings of the present criminal appeal with all its applications be listed for hearing before the division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar on July 11," the court ordered.

Jahan, along with several others, has been booked under the anti-terror law — Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) — in the case for being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).