Delhi riots 2020: SC denies bail for student activist
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain the bail plea of student activist Gulfisha Fatima, who is accused in the "larger conspiracy" behind the February 2020 North East Delhi riots. The court directed that her plea be considered by the Delhi High Court on November 25.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma noted that Fatima has been in custody for over four years and seven months. The court emphasized that her pending bail petition before the high court should be heard on the scheduled date unless there are extraordinary circumstances.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Fatima, expressed concerns that the high court had adjourned the matter multiple times, citing reasons such as the presiding judge being on leave and other procedural delays. He argued that Fatima’s prolonged detention, with her case unresolved for two years, raised serious questions about her liberty.
The Supreme Court clarified that it could not entertain the petition under Article 32, emphasizing the need for proper legal procedure to be followed.
Fatima, along with several others, has been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly masterminding the riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. The violence occurred during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
With PTI inputs