New Delhi: A Delhi court Friday refused to grant further extension of interim bail of former Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan, booked under stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case related to communal violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in north east Delhi in February.
Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana directed Jahan to surrender in jail on Friday and asked the Jail Superintendent to ensure adequate medical care to her.
Jahan, through advocate Lalit Valecha, sought extension for seven days interim bail granted earlier to her till June 19 to get married.
The advocate said Jahan got married on June 12 and subsequently her husband came in contact with a relative who was COVID-19 positive.
Her husband has been advised to undergo COVID-19 test and Jahan has also developed the symptoms and doctors of Max Superspeciality Hospital, Patparganj, have advised her seven days home isolation before undergoing COVID-19 test, her counsel said in the bail application.
During the hearing held through video conferencing, the advocate told the court that her husband’s test report has been found negative.
The Investigating Officer of the Delhi police in his report said that the concerned doctor has not prescribed any COVID-19 test and it has been reported that it is a simple case of flu with nothing specific.
“I have no specific reasons to doubt the report of the IO or the advice of the concerned medical expert. It is a settled principle of law that interim bail can only be granted in exceptional circumstances. Mere apprehensions cannot constitute a valid ground for extension of interim bail.
“Considering the totality of circumstances, especially the opinion of the doctor and the nature of offence, no ground for extension of interim bail is made out in favour of the accused (Jahan),” the judge said in his order.
Jahan, who is also an advocate, has been booked under the anti-terror law in a case related to communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.
Besides Jahan, Jamia Millia Islamia University students Asif Iqbal Tanha, Gulfisha Khatoon, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider, President of Jamia Alumni Association Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita and former student leader Umar Khalid have also been booked under the anti-terror law in the case.
The police had claimed in the FIR that Umar and his associates had instigated people to start riots in the area and it was a premeditated conspiracy .
Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.
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