Student activists Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha were released from Tihar Jail late on Thursday after a Delhi court directed the prison authority earlier today to release them from judicial custody. Narwal and Kalita were released together first and Tanha was out some half hour later.
Additional Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Court Ravinder Bedi had passed the order in the morning and said the court had sent the release warrants by email to prison authorities.
Earlier, the court had refused the request of Delhi Police seeking three days to verify the addresses and sureties, after bail was granted to the accused by the Delhi High Court on Wednesday, stating that prima facie alleged offences not made out against them.
The Trial Court had on Wednesday reserved its order on the immediate release of the students, accused for offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police had challenged the Delhi High Court order of granting bail to the accused in the Supreme Court.
A Bench of Justices Siddarth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani said, “We expect the Trial Court to proceed further expeditiously and list the matter for hearing at 3:30PM today.
They are accused of being the masterminds behind the conspiracy that led to violence in North-East Delhi in February, 2020. The allegation was that this conspiracy would disturb the law and order of the National Capital.
The Delhi High Court had granted them bail on June 15, 2021.
The HC had noted, “We are constrained to express, that it seems, that in its anxiety to suppress dissent, in the mind of the State, the line between the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and terrorist activity seems to be getting somewhat blurred. If this mindset gains traction, it would be a sad day for democracy