The Delhi High Court has declined a request for an early hearing on the bail plea of Shifa-ur-Rehman, the Jamia Millia Islamia alumni president, who is implicated in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to the Delhi riots. In a decision made on October 21, Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur announced that the court will attempt to hear the matter on its previously scheduled date of November 25, 2024.
Rehman, alongside co-accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, had sought an advancement of their bail hearings, initially set by the high court for late November. The bench clarified its position, noting the complexity and the heavy caseload already scheduled, which prevents an earlier hearing date. “Keeping in view the nature of this (cases) board, it is not possible to accede to this request… The application is, accordingly, dismissed,” the bench stated.
The appeal to the high court follows a denial of bail by a trial court on April 7, 2022, which found reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against Rehman were “prima facie” true. Delhi Police have argued that evidence points to Rehman’s involvement in the alleged conspiracy and the subsequent riots, which were part of the larger clashes in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The riots, which are among the most violent in recent memory in the capital, resulted in 53 deaths and injuries to over 700 individuals. Rehman, Khalid, Imam, and others have been described by the police as “masterminds” behind what they call a “larger conspiracy” that orchestrated the widespread violence.
