The Uttarakhand High Court granted default bail to 50 individuals accused in the Haldwani violence case due to the failure of authorities to file a charge sheet within 90 days of the incident.
The violence occurred on February 8 in the Banbhoolpura area of Haldwani after authorities demolished encroachments, including a madrasa and a prayer area. The clashes resulted in six deaths and injuries to around 100 police officers.
A division bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit overturned a lower court’s decision that had granted the police more time to file the charge sheet. The high court’s decision was made after hearing arguments, with senior advocate Nitya Rama Krishnan representing the accused.
The violence escalated when protesters, angry over the madrasa demolition, set fire to the Banbhoolpura police station and several police and media vehicles. A curfew was imposed in the area for several days following the unrest.
