New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday distinguished between “the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest” and “terrorist activity” as it granted bail to three activists – JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita and Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with a case related to larger conspiracy in the north east Delhi riots in February last year.
“It seems that in its anxiety to suppress dissent, in the mind of the State, the line between constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and terrorist activity seems to be getting somewhat blurred. If this mindset gains traction, it would be a sad day for democracy,” the court noted.
This morning a High Court bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani set aside those orders and allowed bail on a personal bond and sureties of ₹ 50,000 each, the surrender of passports, an undertaking to refrain from unlawful activities and not hamper investigations.
The three accused were arrested in May last year in connection with the riots in north east Delhi.
Communal clashes had broken out in north east Delhi on February 24 last year after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control.
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