Court seeks permanent addresses from all accused before next hearing
The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned the hearing regarding the bail pleas of several accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 North-East Delhi violence. During the proceedings, the bench issued a specific directive asking all petitioners to submit their permanent residential addresses before the next hearing date.
A bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria is currently hearing a batch of petitions filed by former JNU student Umar Khalid, student activist Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and others. These individuals have approached the apex court challenging the September 2 verdict of the Delhi High Court, which had rejected their bail applications.
The accused are facing serious charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. They have remained in custody for over five years, accused of masterminding the communal violence that erupted in the national capital in February 2020 following anti-CAA protests.
Due to a shortage of time on Tuesday, the bench could not hear the rejoinder arguments from the petitioners. The matter has been listed for the coming Tuesday. To streamline the process, Justice Kumar laid down strict timelines for the next session. The court ordered that lawyers representing the accused must conclude their oral arguments within 15 minutes each. Meanwhile, the Additional Solicitor General, representing the Delhi Police, has been allotted 30 minutes to provide clarifications.
The bench emphasized that the rejoinder stage should not be treated as a fresh hearing. "Arguments have been advanced on both sides substantially," the Court noted, stressing the need for a fixed schedule.
A brief exchange regarding the address verification took place during the hearing. When Justice Kumar instructed Senior Advocates Siddharth Dave and Salman Khurshid to ensure all petitioners provided their addresses to the court master, a clarification was sought. Advocate Dave, appearing for Sharjeel Imam, asked in a lighter vein if the court required their "present address," pointing out that it would currently be Tihar Jail.
Clarifying the order, Justice Kumar stated that the court specifically requires the permanent address of each petitioner involved in the Delhi Riots UAPA case.
Other accused involved in these petitions include Meera Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed. While some co-accused in the larger conspiracy case, such as Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha, were granted bail in 2021, the current petitioners have faced prolonged incarceration.
