New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) A court here on Tuesday granted bail to ‘Pinjra Tod’ activist Devangana Kalita but sent her to 14 days judicial custody till June 16 until the conditions for bail are complied with in connection with the Daryaganj violence case.
During the course of proceedings, Metropolitan Magistrate Abhinav Panday allowed the application moved by the Delhi Police seeking 14 days judicial remand of the activist as counsel of the accused were not present.
She was produced before the court at the end of three-day police custody. Kalita was arrested three times in 10 days in connection with cases pertaining to recent violence in the national capital.
Advocate Adit S. Pujari and Tusharika Mattoo, representing the accused, arrived late and apprised the court that the investigating officer “did not inform them about when the accused will be produced in court and ignored their calls”.
They moved an application seeking bail on behalf of the accused on the grounds that she will cooperate in the investigation, is willing to furnish bail bond and comply with any conditions imposed by the court.
The court then allowed bail asserting that the accused is “not a habitual offender, a previous convict or has criminal proceedings pending against her”.
“Accordingly, this court is of the opinion that the accused can be released on bail subject to stringent conditions. The accused, meanwhile, be sent to judicial custody till 16.06.2020 until the conditions of bail are complied,” the magistrate ruled.
Kalita will be granted bail on the condition of furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs 30,000 with two local sureties.
She has been directed not to indulge in a similar activity and cooperate with the investigating agency. The accused has also been asked to deposit her passport with the court.
The court noted that the accused had allegedly, on the basis of social media posts, participated in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act, but so far as the investigation been carried out till now, “no direct evidence attributable to the accused has been found”.
Initially, she was nabbed for Jafrabad violence case, north-east violence case and then for Daryaganj violence case.
The Delhi Police earlier on Tuesday filed charge sheet against her and co-accused Natasha in Jafrabad violence case.
The police said that both were “actively involved in hatching the conspiracy to cause riots near Jafrabad Metro Station in Delhi”.
–IANS
aka/vd