New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to relax the bail conditions imposed on Shadab Ahmad, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, to allow him to attend law classes at a college in Ghaziabad.
A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi declined to modify the condition restricting Ahmad from leaving the National Capital Territory without prior permission during the trial.
Appearing for Ahmad, his counsel submitted that he was on the path of “reformation” and sought permission for him to attend classes at the law college in Ghaziabad. However, the Bench was not inclined to grant the relief. Justice Kumar told the counsel, “This we will not modify…We know why you joined that law college, leaving out all the law colleges inside Delhi.”
The plea was subsequently dismissed as withdrawn, with liberty granted to Ahmad to approach the trial court for the requested relief.
What Bail Conditions Had Shadab Ahmad Challenged?
Ahmad sought modification of the condition requiring him to obtain prior permission from the trial court before leaving the National Capital Territory. He also sought relaxation of the requirement to mark his attendance at the Delhi Police Crime Branch twice a week.
The Supreme Court had imposed 11 conditions while granting bail to Ahmad and other accused in the case. The court had cautioned that any misuse of the liberty granted to them could lead to cancellation of bail. The latest order does not grant Ahmad permission to attend classes in Ghaziabad. He can approach the trial court to seek the relief.
What Is The 2020 Delhi Riots Case?
The February 2020 violence in northeast Delhi claimed 53 lives and left more than 700 people injured. The clashes occurred amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). Police have alleged that Ahmad was associated with the Delhi Protest Support Group network and conspired with others to escalate protests into disruptive road blockades and subsequent violence, particularly in the Chand Bagh area. These are allegations in the case.
On January 5, the Supreme Court rejected the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger Delhi riots conspiracy case while ordering the release of five other accused: Gulfisha Fatima, Meera Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad. The court referred to the “hierarchy of participation” while distinguishing their cases.
Ahmad’s latest plea concerned the conditions attached to his bail, rather than the merits of the allegations against him.
