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The Delhi High Court on Monday granted bail to Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita in a case filed against her in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots. She had been charged for allegedly instigating riots in Jaffarabad area, New Delhi. The bail order was granted by a single judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait.
Devangana has been granted bail at a personal bond worth Rs 25,000 along with a surety amount of the like. Earlier, the bail plea for the case was rejected in June 2020. However, she will not be released from jail since she has three more cases against her.
Devangana Kalita has been under judicial custody at Tihar jail in Delhi since she was arrested in May by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police. Four FIRs were filed against her under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including unlawful assembly, attempt to murder and rioting charges. The cases filed against her were related to the Delhi riots that occurred during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. She has also been booked under the stringent Un
According to a report in Livelaw, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Devangana, argued that there was no evidence that connected her to the riots. He also argued that she had already been granted bail in one of the FIRs filed against her during with the trial court, which had said that Devangana did not indulge in violence and just participated in the anti-CAA protests. He said, “Delhi Police has itself said that she doesn't appear in any CCTV footage or any other video; they do not even have a copy of her speech.”
On February 24, 2020, clashes between pro and anti-CAA supporters snowballed into communal violence in North-East Delhi in which at least 53 people were killed and more than 200 people were injured. Shops, houses and vehicles were also burnt down. The Delhi Police faced criticism for their handling of the riots while hundreds of people have been arrested or detained in relation to the case.