[Delhi Riots] Delhi High Court issues notice to police on Meeran Haider’s bail plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to Delhi Police in the bail plea of Meeran Haider in a larger conspiracy case connected with the North East Delhi Riots of February 2020, reports ANI. Haider was booked under sections of UAPA by Delhi Police for alleged conspiracy in riots.

A single-judge bench of Justice Mukta Gupta issued notice to the Delhi Police and listed the matter for hearing on July 21, 2022.

Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad submitted that the petition should be clubbed and sent to another bench for hearing along with other connected petitions filed by Umar Khalid and other accused in the case.

To this, Justice Gupta said that the bail petition of Umar Khalid was transferred to another bench because the matter was partly heard by the same bench.

Earlier, Haider's bail has been rejected by Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Amitabh Rawat in Karkardooma Court. He has challenged the lower court's order by moving a petition through Advocate Vismita Diwan before the High Court.

The trial court had rejected the contentions of defense counsel that Haider was not present in Delhi during the time of the riots. To which the court had said that in the case of conspiracy, not every accused need to be present on the spot.

ASJ Rawat also stated that the contention that the accused works on socio-political issues and have a lot of qualifications including a Ph.D. is not a relevant consideration while deciding the bail application. It was added that a bail application must be decided on facts presented in the charge sheet.

Court took note of the statements given by protected witnesses Robert, Hector, Platinum, Bond, James, Alpha, Aqib, Aman, Beeta, Hotel, and Romeo regarding the conspiracy and other allegations concerning Haider, and said that a broad reading of all the statements brings out the role of the accused Meeran Haider in the context of conspiracy and riots.

The Defense counsel argued that even if all allegations against the accused in relation to organizing a protest or setting up of protest sites are accepted at face value, including those on his role in organizing a chakka jam in New Delhi, the prosecution has failed to disclose any crime committed by him under UAPA.

According to the prosecution the accused was a member of the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC). He was a member of all the three Whatsapp groups of JCC namely JCC JMI Officials, JMI & JCC-JMI. He was also a member of United against Hate (UAH).

SPP Amit Prasad argued that Meeran Haider was managing and handling 8 protests sited namely Shaheen Bagh, Khureji, Seelampur-Jafrabad, Turkman Gate, Kardampuri, Mustafabad, Rehman Chowk (Sriram Colony) and INderlok Metro Gate No.4. Haider was also involved in the collection of money and its use in the riots.