Delhi violence: Court rejects bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan

A Delhi Court on Friday rejected the bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan, who was arrested on charges of opening fire on February 24 during violence in North-East Delhi.

While dismissing the bail plea, Additional Session Judge Sanjeev Kumar Malhotra said: "The right to protest is a fundamental right in a democracy but the right of peaceful protest and open criticism of government policies does not extend to disturb the public order."

On May 6, the Karkardooma court had issued a notice to the Delhi Police and listed the matter for May 8. The public prosecutor had opposed the bail plea stating that the accused Shahrukh Pathan was leading the mob and, hence, bail should not be granted to him. The bail plea was filed by Advocate Asghar Khan who represented the Pathan in the case.

The first charge-sheet was filed against Pathan in a Karkardooma court on May 1.

According to police, after the incident in February, Pathan initially kept roaming in the national capital before slipping away to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh's Shamli, from where he was arrested later.

He was arrested by the Crime Branch of Delhi Police in Shamli. During the investigation, Pathan revealed that the car he used belonged to his uncle's son and that he had left the car in a garage in Haryana after it broke down.

In February, clashes broke out in the North-East of Delhi between the people supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, which led to the deaths of at least 53 people.

( With inputs from ANI )