Delhi HC declines to cancel Ishrat Jahan’s bail in 2020 violence case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday declined to interfere with a trial court’s decision granting bail to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan in a case linked to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 violence in northeast Delhi.

A bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja dismissed an appeal filed by Delhi Police against the March 14, 2022, order, noting that more than four years had passed since bail was granted and there were no allegations of any violation of its conditions.

“Given that a considerable period of over four years has elapsed since the impugned order, and there is no claim that the respondent breached bail conditions, we are not inclined to interfere,” the bench said, dismissing the appeal. The court clarified it had not commented on the merits of the case.

Appearing for Delhi Police, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju argued that proceedings involving another accused were pending before the Supreme Court and could have a bearing on the present matter. The bench, however, observed that nothing survived in the appeal.

Jahan, along with Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others, has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), with police alleging they were among the “masterminds” of the riots that left 53 dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had broken out amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

In its appeal, Delhi Police contended that the trial court’s bail order was flawed, arguing it overlooked the seriousness of the allegations and evidence suggesting a larger conspiracy. It claimed Jahan played an active role in organising protest sites that allegedly led to violence, including road blockades described as “terrorist acts.”

However, the trial court, while granting bail in 2022, held that there was no prima facie evidence of Jahan’s direct involvement in the conspiracy. It noted that she neither conceptualised the alleged road blockade nor was part of any incriminating WhatsApp groups. The court also observed that she was not present in the riot-affected areas, and her name did not surface in call records, CCTV footage, or alleged conspiratorial meetings.

Separately, on September 2, 2025, the High Court denied bail to co-accused Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider and others in the same case.