Delhi Riots Case: Delhi HC Lists Tasleem Ahmed’s Bail Plea Before Roster Bench

The Delhi High Court has scheduled the bail plea of Tasleem Ahmed for hearing before the roster bench on March 25, 2025.

The plea was previously being heard by a special bench, which was dealing with multiple petitions from other accused in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi riots. A division bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Renu Bhatnagar decided to refer the matter to the roster bench.

Request For Listing Before Roster Bench

Tasleem Ahmed’s counsel, Advocate Mehmood Pracha, urged the court to list the matter before the roster bench, emphasizing that his client’s case is distinct from that of the other accused in the case. Among the accused are high-profile figures like Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and Tahir Hussain, who have been booked under various serious charges, including provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Background Of The Bail Plea

Ahmed’s bail plea was dismissed by the trial court on February 22, 2024. He had sought regular bail on the grounds of parity, citing the bail granted to three co-accused individuals—Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Iqbal Tanha—in connection with the same conspiracy case. These three individuals were granted bail by the Delhi High Court on June 15, 2021, after their appeals against the trial court’s order were allowed.

Case Background

The trial court, in its earlier order, had rejected Ahmed’s bail application on March 16, 2022, stating that the allegations against him appeared to be prima facie true. The court also noted the application of Section 43D of the UAPA, which imposes restrictions on granting bail in cases involving charges under the Act. Additionally, Section 437 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.P.C.) was cited as an obstacle in granting bail.

The counsel for Ahmed had argued that, apart from the merits of his case, his client should be granted bail based on the principle of parity with the aforementioned co-accused, who were granted bail by the Delhi High Court.

The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) opposed Ahmed’s bail plea, referencing the previous proceedings where the issue of parity had been addressed and rejected by the court. The SPP emphasized that the applicant was not entitled to bail based on parity, as the earlier bail applications were thoroughly reviewed, and no favor was granted to the accused at that time.

The hearing on Ahmed’s bail plea will now be taken up by the roster bench on March 25, 2025, which will decide whether the grounds for bail in his case, including the argument for parity, are sufficient to grant him release. The case continues to draw attention as it involves multiple accused in the context of the highly sensitive Delhi riots of 2020.