Delhi Court defers immediate release of Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal from jail; seeks verification report by tomorrow

A Delhi court on Tuesday deferred passing an order on immediate release of Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal from judicial custody for want for verification of their addresses and sureties..Additional Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Courts Revinder Bedi has now sought a verification report from Delhi Police as soon as possible, preferably by 1 PM tomorrow i.e. June 16..Following the grant of bail by the Delhi High Court in the Delhi riots case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Kalita and Narwal, through their counsel, had moved the trial court for their immediate release..The application was disposed of as not pressed in view of the Court calling for the report on the next date..The High Court, while granting bail to Kalita and Narwal, observed that the State, in its anxiety to suppress dissent, blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest and terrorist activity."We are constrained to say, that it appears, that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’. If such blurring gains traction, democracy would be in peril," the order said..[DELHI RIOTS] Foundations of our nation can't be shaken by protest by college students; UAPA not for usual offences: Delhi High Court .The Court underscored that right to protest peacefully without arms is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(b) of the Constitution and has not been outlawed yet.It further held that even if activities cross the permissible line of peaceful protests, it would still not amount to commission of a ‘terrorist act’ or a ‘conspiracy’ or an ‘act preparatory’ to the commission of a terrorist act as understood under the UAPA.Advocates Adit S Pujari, Tusharika Mattoo and Kunal Negi appeared for Kalita and Narwal.

Delhi Court defers immediate release of Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal from jail; seeks verification report by tomorrow

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