COVID-19: Delhi court grants bail to three Shaheen Bagh protestors accused of defying lockdown

New Delhi, March 30: A court in Delhi on Monday granted bail to three protestors from Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh locality who were charged for allegedly disobeying restrictions on gatherings imposed by the state and the central governments in view of the 21-day nationwide lockdown from March 25 to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The accused had allegedly defied the curfew imposed in light of the pandemic, and reached the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest site in Shaheen Bagh.

The court, while granting bail to the protestors— Syed Taseer Ahmed, Shan Mohammed, and Syed Masood Ahmad — said it took into consideration the recent directions passed by the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court to initiate the decongestion of prisons in the national capital. It barred the accused from visiting Shaheen Bagh for the “purpose of any protest”.

The Centre opposed the bail, saying the arrested persons might mobilise crowds at the protest site in future, adding that it can potentially jeopardize the government’s attempts to contain the coronavirus outbreak. The court, however, imposed “suitable restrictions” on the accused to avoid that from happening.

“The applicant shall not be posting any opinion regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register and National Register of Citizens on any social media, instant messengers nor will be giving any interview in this regard to print and electronic media,” the court said. The accused were also barred from participating in any gathering of more than five persons according to the advisories issued by the government, it added.

The court also asked the accused to mark their attendance at the Shaheen Bagh Police Station every Monday at 10 am during the period of investigation.

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