Delhi High Court Refuses to Cancel Ishrat Jahan Bail in 2020 Riots Matter

New Delhi- The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to set aside the bail granted to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi violence.

A bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja observed that more than four years had passed since the bail order was issued and there had been no reported breach of its conditions. In light of this, the court said there was no reason to interfere with the earlier decision.

Jahan had been granted bail by a trial court in March 2022. Subsequently, Delhi Police approached the high court challenging the order, arguing that provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act were not correctly applied.

The police contended that the law covers not just conspiracy but also attempts related to unlawful activities, and claimed that certain findings by the trial court regarding Jahan’s alleged role were inaccurate.

While dismissing the petition, the high court clarified that it had not made any observations on the merits of the allegations or the ongoing trial.

The case is linked to the unrest that broke out in parts of northeast Delhi in February 2020, which led to multiple casualties and injuries following clashes in the area.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India had delivered separate rulings in related matters, granting relief to some accused while denying bail to others, noting that each case must be assessed on its own facts and stage of proceedings.