Isharat Jahan gets bail in riots conspiracy case

Ex-Cong. councillor was arrested in connection with violence at Jagatpuri; court says she was neither present at spot nor part of any group

A city court on Monday granted bail to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPA), in the “larger conspiracy” case pertaining to the north-east Delhi riots.

The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat.

In his bail order, ASJ Rawat noted that while the prosecution had tried to show Ms. Jahan’s link with co-accused Khalid Saifi, Natasha Narwal and Safoora Zargar, the fact remained that “she was neither physically present in north-east Delhi” nor was she part of any organisation or WhatsApp groups.

The order further said that Ms. Jahan’s name didn’t crop up in any of the several “conspiratorial meetings” held by co-accused persons”.

“...It is not the case of the prosecution that she was giving directions to other accused persons to contend that her position and conspiracy was bigger than others,” the order read.

Ms. Jahan was arrested by the Delhi Police on February 26, 2020, in a case related to riots in the Jagatpuri area of Shahdara. She was granted bail on the same day but arrested soon after in the UAPA case. In June 2020, Ms. Jahan was granted interim bail for 15 days to get married.