SC grants 2 more weeks to Delhi Police to file reply on bail plea of accused

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted two more weeks to Delhi Police to file its response on the bail pleas of Tasleem Ahmed and Abdul Khalid Saifi, accused in the February 2020 riots-related “larger conspiracy” case.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P B Varale gave time after counsel for Delhi Police sought more time.

The top court on February 11 had issued notice on a plea filed by Ahmed and Saifi challenging a Delhi High Court order. The high court on September 2 last year had dismissed Ahmed’s bail plea, saying “delay in trial” cannot be the sole ground for consideration. It had said except in cases of palpable violation of fundamental rights or breach of constitutional rights, bail cannot be granted on the

sole factor of long incarceration or delay in trial.

The HC had also said that those accused who have secured bail in the case were delaying arguments on the charge “at the cost of those accused persons who are in prison.” Besides Ahmed, activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, and several others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots in Delhi, which left 53 people dead and

over 700 injured.

The violence erupted during the protests against

the CAA and NRC.