Queency Jain –
A Delhi Court has passed the release order of 3 students of Jawaharlal Nehru University, namely Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha who were arrested in May last year under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with large conspiracy in the northeast Delhi riots.
The release order comes after the trio approached the Court to release them immediately after they were granted bail by the Delhi High Court but were not released by the authorities even after more than 36 hours passed of the order of granting bail.
While Delhi High Court issued directions to the Trial Court to provide with detail reasoning for not releasing them, Additional Session Judge Ravindra Bedi told that she had already passed the release order by 11am of the scheduled date.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court observed that the State has a misconception in terrorist activity and constitutional right to protest as there existed no prima facie evidence of committing any crime under UAPA by the students.
While Narwal and Devangana Kalita were arrested on 29 May 2020, Asif Iqbal was arrested on 19 May 2020 after a probe was conducted by a special cell of Delhi Police.
The trio was earlier arrested after the riots broke out in the northeast Delhi region due to disagreement with Citizenship Amendment Act and turned out into violence leaving behind 53 people dead and more than 200 injured.
