Delhi HC directs police to submit case diary involving Pinjra Tod activist Natasha Narwal in sealed cover

The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the police to place before it the case diary of a matter related to the communal riots in north east Delhi during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in February, in which a member of Pinjra Tod group is allegedly involved. Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who was conducting the proceedings on the bail plea of Pinjra Tod member Natasha Narwal through video conferencing, allowed the Delhi Police to submit the case diary in a sealed cover on 29 August and posted the hearing on 31 August. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, said there are sensitive information in the case diary which cannot be shared with Narwal’s advocate at this stage. To this, the judge said a separate web link will be given to the agency’s advocate and investigating officer and they can show the relevant portion to the court. The judge said others, including Narwal’s counsel, will not be privy to the proceedings. Advocate Adit S Pujari, appearing for Narwal, did not object to it. The high court had earlier issued notice to the Delhi Police on the plea challenging a trial court’s order which had dismissed the bail application of JNU student Natasha Narwal. Narwal and another member of the group Devangana Kalita were arrested in the case in May this year by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police and booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code including rioting, unlawful assembly and attempt to murder. They have also been booked under the stringent anti-terror law - Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a separate case related to the communal violence, for allegedly being part of a “premeditated conspiracy” in the riots. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. In all, four cases have been registered against Kalita, including in relation to the northeast Delhi riots earlier this year and violence in old Delhi’s Daryaganj area during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December last year. Narwal is accused in three cases. On 14 June, a trial court had dismissed bail pleas of Narwal and Kalita on the ground that there was no merit in the applications and that it was amply clear from the charge sheet that the investigation was still pending and it has been filed against other accused persons also. It had said that considering the investigation so far and the nature of the offence and the role being ascribed to the accused, there were no reasons at all to grant bail. The trial court was informed that the charge sheet has been filed against 10 persons in the case and investigation qua the accused persons was still being done. Kalita has also challenged the trial court’s order denying her bail and the high court has reserved its decision on the plea. Pinjra Tod (Break the Cage) was founded in 2015 with an aim to make hostels and paying guest accommodations less restrictive for women students.