Delhi violence: HC seeks response from police on bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan

Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from Delhi Police on the bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan, the man who allegedly opened fire at police personnel on February 24 during violence in northeast Delhi.

Pathan has approached the court seeking interim bail on the ground of his father's bad health.

Justice Prateek Jalan, while hearing the plea, directed the investigation officer of the case to submit the status report within seven days and also to verify the medical reports of the father of the petitioner on which the counsel for the petitioner relied upon for seeking grant of interim bail.

The matter is slated for further hearing in the High Court on June 4.

A trial court had recently dismissed his bail plea and stated that the right to protest is a fundamental right in a democracy but this right of peaceful protest and open criticism of government policies does not extend to disturb the public order.

The bail plea was filed by Advocate Asghar Khan who is representing Pathan in the case.

The first charge-sheet has also been filed against Pathan in a Karkardooma court.

According to the 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 northeast 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 )