Court Orders Police Response on Bail Application
On Monday, the Karkardooma Court in Delhi instructed the police to respond to the interim bail application submitted by Tasleem Ahmed, who is implicated in a broader conspiracy linked to the Delhi riots.
Ahmed is seeking a temporary bail of 15 days, citing the need to facilitate his son's enrollment in a new school for the upcoming academic year.
Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai has issued a notice to the Delhi Police and set the hearing for May 22, while also mandating a verification of the claims made by the accused. Ahmed's regular bail application is currently pending before the Delhi High Court, with a hearing scheduled for later today.
In a prior directive, the Division Bench instructed the Special Public Prosecutor for the Delhi Police, Amit Prasad, to provide a succinct summary detailing Ahmed's alleged involvement and the evidence against him, given the extensive case documentation.
Tasleem Ahmed is among several individuals, including Abdul Khalid Saifi, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and Tahir Hussain, who face charges in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. They are accused under the anti-terrorism legislation, UAPA, for their purported roles in the violence that occurred in Northeast Delhi.
On February 22, 2024, the trial court denied Ahmed's regular bail request, which he had filed on the basis of parity with co-defendants Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were also implicated in the same conspiracy.
Narwal, Kalita, and Tanha were granted regular bail by the Delhi High Court on June 15, 2021, after successfully appealing the trial court's ruling.
The trial court noted that Ahmed's earlier bail plea was rejected by a previous judge on March 16, 2022, who determined that the allegations against him were prima facie valid. As a result, the restrictions under Section 43D of UAPA and Section 437 of the Cr.P.C. were applicable, preventing his release on bail.
Approximately 20 individuals, including activists Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, have been charged for their alleged involvement in orchestrating the broader conspiracy behind the riots.
