Last updated:July 08, 2025, 22:00 IST

The High Court is hearing in the Delhi riot 2020 cases. (PTI)

New Delhi. The Delhi High Court on Tuesday questioned the Delhi Police that how long the accused can be kept in jail in the terrorist case related to the riots of February 2020, as five years of the case have passed and the debate on the allegations has not been completed yet.

A bench of Justice Subramanian Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar questioned the Delhi Police during the hearing on the bail plea of ​​Taslim Ahmed, accused in a case related to the alleged large conspiracy in the riots. Ahmed has been booked under illegal activities (prevention) Act (UAPA).

The bench asked the prosecution, ‘Five years have passed. Even the debate on the allegations has not been completed. In such cases, how long can a person be kept in jail, with 700 witnesses? ‘ The court raised this question when the accused’s lawyer Mahmood Pracha raised the issue of delay in the proceedings of the case.

Pracha said that he will not argue on the merits of the case, but demands relief on equality in relation to delay in the case. He gave the example of co-accused Dewangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha and Natasha Narwal, who was granted bail in 2021 on the basis of delay.

Pracha argued, ‘He (Ahmed) was arrested on 24 June 2020 … I have already spent five years (in jail).’ He claimed that his client never delayed the proceedings of the case.

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, while opposing the plea, claimed that the prosecution could not be convicted for delay in the trial, as there were many occasions when the case was postponed at the request of the accused.

Pracha confined his argument to the delay in the trial. The hearing will continue on July 9. At least 53 people were killed and around 700 people were injured in the violence in North-East Delhi in February 2020.

Rakesh Ranjan Kumar

Rakesh Ranjan Kumar has more than 10 years of experience in digital journalism. Before joining with News18, he has worked in Live Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Zee News, Jansatta and Dainik Bhaskar. Currently that h …Read more

Rakesh Ranjan Kumar has more than 10 years of experience in digital journalism. Before joining with News18, he has worked in Live Hindustan, Dainik Jagran, Zee News, Jansatta and Dainik Bhaskar. Currently that h … Read more

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How long can you keep the accused in jail? High Court said, debate not complete even in 5 years