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Delhi riots ‘larger conspiracy’ case: HC refuses bail to accused Tasleem Ahmed

A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur is due to pronounce the verdict on the bail pleas of nine other accused in the case.

Ahmad was arrested in April 2020 in another case and was then arrested in the larger conspiracy case by the Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2020.Ahmad was arrested in April 2020 in another case and was then arrested in the larger conspiracy case by the Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2020.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to grant bail to 2020 riots accused Tasleem Ahmed.

A division bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar pronounced in open court that his “appeal is dismissed”. A detailed order is awaited.

A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur is due to pronounce the verdict on the bail pleas of nine other accused in the case.

Ahmad was arrested in April 2020 in another case and was then arrested in the larger conspiracy case by the Delhi Police Special Cell in June 2020.

Eighteen people accused in the case are facing allegations of pre-planned conspiracy to allegedly cause riots in Northeast Delhi between February 23, 2020 and February 25, 2020, with offences registered under the IPC, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act (PDPP) Act, Arms Act, and the UAPA.

An FIR was registered by the Delhi Crime Branch in March 2020. The investigation is being undertaken by the Special Cell.

Among the 18 accused, activist Safoora Zargar was released on bail in June 2020, and another accused, Faizan, was granted bail in October 2020.

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Three other activists — Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Iqbal Tanha — were granted bail in June 2021 by the Delhi HC. Former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan was granted bail in this case in March 2022.

Another accused, Saleem Malik, was refused bail by the Delhi HC in April 2024. Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain too remains in custody in this case.

According to the Special Cell, the riots were the result of a months-long “deep-rooted” conspiracy allegedly hatched after the Citizenship Amendment Bill was approved by the Cabinet in December 2019. The “conspiracy” here involves the creation of 23 protest sites (which operated 24×7) in “Muslim-majority areas” close to mosques and main roads.

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

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