Delhi violence: Court rejects statutory bail plea of Gulfisha Fatima in UAPA case

A Delhi court has rejected the statutory bail plea of Gulfisha Fatima, who was arrested in connection with a case related to the violence which took place in northeast Delhi in February this year.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat dismissed Fatima's statutory bail plea saying that it was "without merit".

Fatima had sought statutory bail on the ground that the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, which was probing the matter, had not filed a chargesheet within the stipulated time period. She has also challenged a trail court order dated June 29 which extended the period for the completion of investigation in the matter till August 29.

She was arrested on April 11 and currently undergoing judicial custody in the matter.

On March 6, the Crime Branch had registered an FIR under several sections of the India Penal Code (IPC) regarding a criminal conspiracy to cause communal riots in the national capital from February 23 to 26. On the same day, investigation of the case was transferred to the Special Cell.

On April 19, the investigating agency invoked Sections 13, 16, 17, and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 in the case.

A trial court had, on August 13, granted more time to Delhi Police to probe the matter and extended the time for completing investigation till September 17 on an application filed by the prosecution under Section 43D(2)(b) of the UAPA for extension of time.

The other accused who were arrested in connection with the case include Khalid, Ishrat Jahan, Tahir Hussain, Meeran Haider, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Shafa ur Rehman.

At least 53 people had lost their lives in the violence which took place in the month of February this year in the northeast area of Delhi between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act.

( With inputs from ANI )