Delhi riots: Student activists Natasha, Devangana, Asif released on bail

NEW DELHI : Student activists Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha walked out of Tihar prison on Thursday, hours after a court here ordered their immediate release in the north-east Delhi riots "conspiracy" case.

The order came two days after the Delhi High Court granted bail to Narwal, Kalita and Tanha, who were arrested in May last year under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel confirmed that all three have been released.

A senior jail official said Kalita and Narwal were released around 7 pm and Tanha around 7.30 pm. The three student activists were not released from the prison on time over delays in verifying their addresses and sureties. In its order for the immediate release of the trio, the Delhi court said the delay in the verification process by the police could not be a plausible reason for the accused to be kept imprisoned.

Asif Iqbal Tanha walking out of jail (credit: SIO)

After securing bail from the high court, the activists had moved the trial court, seeking immediate release from prison. When the trial court deferred the order on their plea for Thursday, they moved the Delhi High Court, which ordered the lower court to proceed with the issue with "promptitude and expedition".

The three student activists were arrested in May 2020 and are accused of being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 violence, which left 53 people dead and more than 200 injured.

The high court, while granting them bail on June 15, had observed that "in an anxiety to suppress dissent, the state has blurred the line between right to protest and terrorist activity" and if such a mindset gains traction, it would be a "sad day for democracy". The Delhi Police has, however, moved the Supreme Court, challenging the high court judgement granting them bail in the case.

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