Safoora Zargar, the student of Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, who had been in jail in connection with the North-East Delhi riots, has been granted bail. The 27-year-old student, who is five-months pregnant, was granted bail after Delhi police agreed to release her on purely humanitarian grounds, with no bearing on merit of the case, reports said.
Appearing for Delhi police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated that the Centre has no problem of Safoora getting bail as long as she does not interfere in the investigation of the case and remains in Delhi.
The Delhi High Court bench headed by Justice Rajiv Shakhder granted Safoora regular bail against a personal bond of Rs 10,000 and imposed certain conditions as well. The HC directed that Safoora must remain in touch via phone call with the investigating officer in the case once every 15 days. The court has also restricted Safoora from indulging in any activity for which she is being investigated. She has been directed to refrain from influencing and hampering the investigation. She also has to seek permission before she can leave Delhi-NCR (National Capital Region).
The court clarified that this judgement should not be held as a precedent for any other case.
Safoora was arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on April 10 in connection with the Delhi violence case and had been lodged in the overcrowded Tihar jail in Delhi. She had challenged the June 4 order of Patiala House Sessions Court that denied her bail in the case.
The trial court, in its order, had said, “When you choose to play with embers, you cannot blame the wind to have carried the spark a bit too far and spread the fire.”
It added that during the course of investigation, a larger conspiracy was discernible and if there was a prima evidence of conspiracy, acts and statements made by any one of the conspirators, it is admissible against all.
The court had said that even if there was no direct act of violence attributable to the accused (Zargar), she cannot shy away from her liability under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
However, the trial court had asked the concerned jail superintendent to provide adequate medical aid and the assistance to Zargar.
The police had earlier claimed that Zargar allegedly blocked a road near Jaffrabad metro station during the anti-CAA protests and instigated people that led to the riots in the area.
It further claimed that she was allegedly part of the premeditated conspiracy to incite communal riots in northeast Delhi in February.
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 scores injured.
With PTI inputs