New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Monday, May 23, sought the Delhi Police’s stand on a bail plea by Mohammad Saleem Khan, who police has named an accused in the alleged ‘conspiracy’ case of the February 2020 riots.
A bench of Justices Mukta Gupta and Mini Pushkarna issued notice on the bail plea and sought a status report from the investigating agency. The matter will be heard next on July 20.
Khan sought bail on the ground that he has been in custody for two years and that his role in the case is very limited and based on video footage.
He also urged the court to release him to interim bail and informed that he has already been granted bail in another case which is also based on the same video footage.
The trial court had dismissed Khan’s bail application on March 22.
The FIR against Khan contains charges under sections 13, 16, 17, 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act and section 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act,1984. He is also charged under various offences of the Indian Penal Code, LiveLaw has reported.
Delhi Police’s investigation into the riots, and especially the ‘conspiracy’ case, has been accused of having been partisan by several quarters.
Police have also charged several activists including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, student activists Gulfisha Fatima, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, in the case.
The bail applications of Khalid and Imam are pending before the high court.
