2020 riots: Delhi court dismisses student activist's bail plea in larger conspiracy case
New Delhi(PTI): A Delhi court refused to grant bail on Wednesday to student activist Gulfisha Fatima in a case concerning a larger conspiracy behind the Delhi riots of February 2020.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat dismissed Fatima's bail plea, saying in view of the chargesheet and the accompanying documents, the allegations against the accused are "prima facie true" and therefore, no relief can be given on account of the embargo under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The judge also dismissed the bail application of another co-accused in the case -- Tasleem Ahmed -- as it opined that she was actively involved along with Fatima and others in the protest before and at the time of the riots in northeast Delhi and the allegations against her also are prima facie true.
In the order concerning Fatima's bail plea, the court noted that the statements of the protected witnesses showed "sufficient incriminating material" against the accused, who was "not only involved in the entire protest before the period of riots at Seelampur and Jafrabad in northeast Delhi, but was also actively guiding it".
It further recorded that Fatima engaged in mass mobilisation, created two WhatsApp groups and was also present in northeast Delhi at the time of the riots.
"In fact, as per the witnesses, she was the one who started the blockade and prompted the attack on police personnel and others with weapons like dande, lal mirchi powder and others in the Jafrabad area, which had a cascading effect, leading to the riots," the court noted.
It also considered that the accused was involved with different groups, was in touch with other accused persons and was a part of a "conspiratorial meeting".
The order also recorded that according to the chargesheet, taken at face value, there was a "premeditated conspiracy" involving various groups and individuals to have "disrupted chakka-jam" and a "pre-planned protest at 23 sites" in order to incite violence and that the alleged acts by the accused persons were covered by the definition of a "terrorist act" under the UAPA.
"The happening of riots on the same day when the President of the USA was in Delhi and the world media was there to cover it, does not appear from the chargesheet to be a mere coincidence. In fact, there is a mention of the visit of the President before the riots began," it added as it considered the speeches made by the other accused in the case.
"Acts which threaten the unity and integrity of India and cause friction in communal harmony and create terror in any section of the people by making them feel surrounded, resulting in violence, are also terrorist acts," the court said.
Fatima and Ahmed, along with several others, have been booked under the anti-terror law -- UAPA -- in the case for being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Besides the accused, activist Khalid Saifi, Umar Khalid, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and several others have also been booked under the stringent law in the case.
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Chhattisgarh: Couple, two grandchildren killed over 'property' dispute; two relatives held
Janjgir (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): An elderly couple and their two grandchildren were allegedly murdered by two close relatives to grab family property in Chhattisgarh’s Janjgir-Champa district, police said on Thursday.
The couple’s one son, who had earlier spent 15 years in jail for killing his own brother, and his son have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, an official said.
The bodies were found inside their under-construction house in Bhanvtara village under the jurisdiction of the Shivrinarayan police station after labourers reached the site for work in the morning, a senior police official said.
The deceased were identified as Medani Prasad Kashyap (70), his wife Kanti Bai (65), their grandchildren Pitambar Kashyap (17) and Mogra (25).
The deceased couple’s son, Sonsai, and his son Dakeshwar have been taken into custody in connection with the murders, the official said.
According to the preliminary investigation, Medani Prasad had three sons, including Sonsai. Police said Sonsai had murdered one of his brothers in the past and had served a 15-year jail term in the case, while the couple’s third son had reportedly died by suicide.
Sonsai and his son Dakeshwar, alias Golu, allegedly killed his parents and the children of his two deceased brothers with an axe while they were asleep in the under-construction house, he said.
Pitambar was the only son of one deceased brother, while Mogra was the only daughter of another, the official said.
The accused allegedly wanted sole ownership of the family property and are suspected of having committed the crime to eliminate other claimants, police said.
A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway, the official added.
