The Delhi High Court has asked Delhi Police to file a chart distinguishing the role of Sharjeel Imam from that of others who have been granted bail like Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal.
The Bench comprising Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Manoj Jain questioned both Imam’s counsel and Delhi Police to file written submissions in the matter.
The matter will now be heard on February 19. Amit Prasad, the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) representing Delhi Police, said that as per the Supreme Court’s order it is the appellant who has to make his case on merit and it is not for the prosecution to show how their role is different from the ones granted bail.
On November 1, the bail petitions of Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi and several others accused in the Delhi riots conspiracy case was reargued before another bench of the Delhi High Court.
Justice Siddharth Mridul, who was heading the Division Bench hearing the cases pertaining to bail petitions of Fatima, Haider, Saifi and several others, has now been elevated as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
The Bench of Justice Mridul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar was hearing the matter till now.
Not only was the matter heard properly, but verdicts were also reserved in the case. The new Bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Shalinder Kaur is now hearing the cases.
The Delhi High Court was informed about the status of these cases. The Bench was told that the matters have been pending for over a year and will have to be argued again. The Court has listed the cases for arguments in the months of January and February 2024.
The transfer of Justice Bhatnagar, who was supposedly going to hear the case, has been recently recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium.
However, the Central government was yet to notify the transfer. A total of 10 bail petitions related to the Delhi riots conspiracy case were pending before the High Court.
The court has heard arguments in the bail petitions of Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shadab Ahmed, and Athar Khan in detail.
Earlier, a Bench led by Justice Mridul had reserved its verdict in the bail applications of Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman and Saleem Malik.
It is important to note that before the judgments were delivered, he was transferred to Manipur, where he presently sits as the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
Meanwhile, the bail petitions of Sharjeel Imam and the State’s appeal seeking the cancellation of bail to another accused, Ishrat Jahan, were also listed before a Bench led by Justice Mridul.
However, arguments did not commence in these matters.