NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Thursday denied bail to Jamia Millia Islamia scholar Safoora Zargar, saying it found “no merits” in her application.
Zargar, also the media coordinator of the Jamia Coordination Committee, was arrested by Delhi Police’s Special Cell after being accused of hatching a “conspiracy” to incite communal riots in the national capital’s northeast area in February this year.
Additional Sessions Judge at the Patiala House Court, Dharmendra Rana, while dismissing the plea filed by Safoora Zargar, said, “I do not find merits in the bail application, it is accordingly dismissed.”
The court, however, directed the jail officials to provide adequate medical aid and assistance to Zargar, who is pregnant.
Opposing her bail application, the Special Cell submitted before the court that she had allegedly made “inflammatory speeches” and was part of a “conspiracy” to instigate communal violence, which had been planned weeks ago.
The police told the court that the accused persons were part of the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in various parts of the national capital.
“In mid February, the accused had allegedly planned to hold protests in various parts of northeast Delhi. They had also blocked road near the Jafrabad Metro station,” the police said.
The case relates to organising anti-CAA protests in the Jaffrabad area, where majority of the participants were women.
Later, violence broke out between pro and anti-CAA protesters in February, which left at least 53 people dead, including IB official Ankit Sharma and Head Constable Rattan Lal.
Only two days ago, Metropolitan Magistrate Abhinav Panday had granted bail to ‘Pinjra Tod’ activist Devangana Kalita saying she is “not a habitual offender, a previous convict or has criminal proceedings pending against her”.
Like Safoora Zargar, Devangana Kalita too has been arrested in Jaffrabad violence case.