All three students were arrested in May last year under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in reference to the case associated with an outsized conspiracy within the northeast Delhi riots which broke call at February last year.
A delhi court on Thursday finally passed the discharge orders for Nehru University (JNU) students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha after the three students moved the court seeking forthwith release from jail, two days after the trio was granted bail by the Delhi supreme court in reference to the northeast Delhi riots case. the scholars urged in their pleas for immediate release from prison, remarking that quite 36 hours have passed since they were granted bail by the court.
A Delhi supreme court bench comprising Justices Siddharth Mridul and AJ Bhambhani commenced hearing on the pleas on today and issued directions for the court on the discharge of the three students -- Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha. Additional Sessions Judge Ravindra Bedi said that she has passed the discharge order at 11 am as scheduled even when the counsels of all the parties said that they weren't conscious of the order. an in depth reasoned order is awaited.
In its bail order two days ago, the Delhi supreme court had noted that the allegations raised against the scholars don't clear disclose the commission of any offense under sections of the UAPA. Thereby, additional restrictions on the grant of bail don't apply, the court ruled. The Delhi supreme court also noted that the road between terrorist activity and therefore the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest is getting "somewhat blurred" within the mind of the State, "in its anxiety to suppress dissent".
All three students were arrested in May last year under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in reference to the case associated with an outsized conspiracy within the northeast Delhi riots which broke call at February last year.
Narwal, who may be a student pursuing an MPhil-PhD programme within the Centre of Women's Historical Studies at Nehru University, and Devangana Kalita, who is pursuing an MPhil-PhD programme within the Department of Women's Studies at JNU, were taken into police custody on May 29, 2020. Iqbal Tanha, a 25-year-old student, pursuing his final year of BA (Hons) Persian programme at the Jamia Milia Islamia University was arrested within the same UAPA case on May 19 last year which was being probed by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.
Communal clashes had broken call at northeast Delhi on February 24 last year after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control, leaving a minimum of 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
