[BREAKING] Delhi Court orders release of Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha in Delhi Riots UAPA case

A Delhi court on Thursday ordered the release of Delhi Riots accused Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha from prison. .Additional Sessions Judge at Karkardooma Courts Ravinder Bedi today stated that the Court has passed an order and sent the release warrants by email to prison authorities. .In two separate but identical orders passed, the Court took note of a 2015 Delhi High Court order which held that once accused ordered to be released on bail and has furnished the bail bond with sureties, they ought not to remain behind bars even for a minute than necessary..Noting that the report on verification of the accused's addresses and sureties ought to have been filed by 1:00 PM yesterday, the Court stated,"From the circumstances forwarded by the IO, I observe that atleast verification process qua sureties should have been filed by 1:00 pm yesterday all sureties are residents of Delhi. Apropos the reason forwarded by IO that verification qua accused's permanent address would need time. I would say that this by itself cannot be a plausible reason for the accused to be kept imprisoned till the time such reports are filed.".After taking on record the submission of the counsel for the accused that their clients would not leave the jurisdiction of the Court, Judge Bedi directed for their release forthwith. The Court further ordered,"Since the verification of permanent address of accused shall require sometime, let the Report to this effect be filed by IO on or before 23.06.2021 at 2.30 pm with the concerned court.".The Delhi High Court had granted the accused bail on June 15. While doing so, it had 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 accused had then approached the lower court the same day seeking release from jail by showing compliance with bail conditions.The judge had deferred passing an order on Tuesday for immediate release for want for verification of their addresses and sureties.It had sought a verification report from Delhi Police while posting the case for Wednesday..When the matter came up on Wednesday, the Investigating Officer (IO) sought five days' time to conduct verification of addresses of the accused and their sureties.Advocates Adit Pujari, Tusharika Mattoo and Sowjhanya Shankaran, appearing for the accused, however, said that verification reports were not filed despite the time granted to IO. They pressed for the immediate release of the accused.Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, however, stated that it was not possible to file the verification report within such short span of time.The Court after hearing the parties had reserved its order. .[Read the release orders].Follow Bar and Bench channel on WhatsAppDownload the Bar and Bench Mobile app for instant access to the latest legal news.