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Northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case: HC dismisses Delhi Police’s appeal against bail granted to Ishrat Jahan

A practising advocate, Ishrat Jahan was the first person to be granted bail in this case, by a trial court, after spending two years in jail in the Delhi riots Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case in March 2022.

The report was placed before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav in connection with a plea filed by a 29-year-old married woman seeking termination of her pregnancy.The report was placed before Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav in connection with a plea filed by a 29-year-old married woman seeking termination of her pregnancy. (File Photo)

The Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed the Delhi Police’s appeal against the bail granted to former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.

A practising advocate, Ishrat Jahan was the first person to be granted bail in this case, by a trial court, after spending two years in jail in the Delhi riots Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case in March 2022.

A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Ravinder Dudeja on Friday dismissed the appeal against the trial court’s order, noting that it was not inclined to interfere with the order.

More than four years have passed since the bail was granted and there are no allegations that Jahan has violated her bail conditions in any manner, the High Court also noted.

In 2024, the trial court modified Jahan’s bail conditions, allowing her to travel all over India without prior permission of the court. The court, in 2022, had granted her bail on the condition that she must not leave the territory of Delhi without prior permission from the court.

While being granted bail in the case under the stringent UAPA, the trial court had recorded that “…She was neither physically present in Northeast Delhi for riots nor was she part of any group”.

Nearly three months after the bail was granted, the Special Cell of Delhi Police challenged the order before the Delhi HC, stating that the trial court ignored the statements of protected witnesses which “attributed specific and definite role” to her “not only in conspiracy but also in terror financing”.

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The Delhi Police has also contended that the trial court failed to appreciate that under Section 18 of UAPA not merely a conspiracy to commit a terrorist act but “an attempt to commit or advocate the commission or advising it or inciting or directing or knowingly facilitating commission of a terrorist act” is punishable.

 

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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