An additional sessions court in Delhi has today granted bail to Bhim Army Chief Chandrashekhar Azad in a case registered against him related to anti-CAA riots in Delhi’s Daryaganj area last month, after imposing various conditions and furnishing a bail bond of Rs 25,000. The Bhim Army chief will be released from prison tomorrow.
While hearing the case, Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau imposed certain conditions and ordered the Bhim Army Chief should not stay in Delhi for the next four weeks owing to the upcoming Delhi elections.
As elections are around the corner, the judge expressed her concern regarding security in Delhi. Azad was strictly told to appear before an SHO in Saharanpur, his hometown, every Saturday for the next four weeks, and then every last Saturday of every month until the chargesheet is filed in the matter. He has even been prohibited from taking part in dharnas for next one month.
Azad has also been banned from joining the protest at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, as he had planned. Instead, he will be escorted back to Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.
During the verdict pronouncement, Mahmood Pracha, the lawyer appearing for Azad said the Bhim Army chief faces threats in Uttar Pradesh.
Though Pracha attempted to convince the court that Azad should be allowed to stay in Delhi, the Court did not relent. Pracha even undertook to keep Azad at his home in Delhi. The Court, however, turned down the plea.
While reading out the verdict the Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) reprimanded Azad and said that taking names of RSS could be inciting. The ASJ furthered that the institutions and Prime Minister must not be attacked and should be respected. “Where there is right, there is remedy and cannot be Anarchy”, the ASJ said.
Azad had filed his bail application claiming that the Delhi police invoked “boilerplate” charges against him and arrested without following the due process of law.
Bhim Army chief Chandra Shekhar Azad had been arrested in connection with the violence in Old Delhi’s Daryagan on December 21, a day after his outfit defied a Police ban and organised a march from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar against the new citizenship law.
The Delhi Police had denied permission to Chandrashekhar Azad’s protest march against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act from Jama Masjid to Jantar Mantar. Reports say that thousands of Muslims gathered at Jama Masjid after the Friday prayers, joined by Bhim Army members.
On the day of the march, Azad had given a slip to the Delhi Police after the security personnel tried to detain him. He came outside Jama Masjid early Saturday (December 21) and was detained. He was arrested later, police said. After being detained, Azad was kept at the Crime Branch office in Chanakyapuri since he said he was unwell. He was later handed over to the central district police.
Police had suspected Azad instigated the crowd which turned violent near Delhi Gate and burnt a car.
