Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha have been accused by the Delhi Police of conspiring to orchestrate the February 2020 communal violence in Northeast Delhi. All three were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in May 2020.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday morning (June 15) granted bail to the three student activists and made several critical remarks against the government action and police investigation into the case. However, the Delhi Police has still not released the students and told the high court that it needs time till June 21 to verify their addresses.
The Wire’s senior editor Arfa Khanum Sherwani explains why this bail order is an important one. She also speaks with Shadan Farasat, advocate, Supreme Court, who analyses the Delhi high court order on granting bail to the student activists.