Delhi Riots: High Court Denies Bail To Tasleem Ahmed In UAPA Larger Conspiracy Case

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea filed by Tasleem Ahmed, accused in the UAPA case alleging larger conspiracy in the commission of 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

A division bench comprising Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar pronounced the order. 

Tasleem Ahmed was arrested on June 19, 2020.

The judges had previously asked the Delhi Police as to how long an accused can be kept in jail, when it has been five years since the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

Verdict was reserved in the matter on July 09, after hearing Advocate Mehmood Pracha for Ahmed and SPP Amit Prasad representing the Delhi Police.

During the hearings, Pracha made arguments on the grounds of delay in the trial, saying that he did not take even a single day's adjournment before the trial court and concluded arguments on charge on a single day, within 10-15 minutes. Yet, he had been languishing in jail since five years.

“Forget speedy trial, my bail application is not being heard. It is not about the trial. I am forced to… I can't think of a better word. I am compelled to give up my rights even when arguing my bail due to the burden. That is the effect of overburdening of the system. I am making a statement at the bar that if I took even one adjournment, my bail may be cancelled,” he argued.

On the other hand, SPP Amit Prasad had submitted that delay alone cannot be a reason for the grant of bail while dealing with Section 43D(4) of UAPA.

Prasad also contended that interim bail cannot be granted by High Court while hearing an appeal rejecting the grant of bail by the trial court, in absence of emergent reasons.

FIR 59 of 2020 was registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

A coordinate bench will pronounce today at 2:30 PM order in the bail pleas filed by co accused Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima.

The accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.

Title: Tasleem Ahmed v. State  

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Del) 1067