Days after dismissing his bail plea calling charges against him prima facie true, a Delhi Court has granted 3-day parole to Anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Jamia ‘student’ Asif Iqbal Tanha to appear for his compartmental examination in December. Asif, a Jamia Millia Islamia student and member of the Student Islamist Organization (SIO) since 2014, was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in May for purportedly being a part of a larger conspiracy behind the February riots in northeast Delhi.
After his bail application got rejected on October 27, Tanha moved the court seeking interim bail from November 30 to December 7 to prepare for three exams scheduled to be held in the first week. On October 21, he was granted one-day interim bail for taking the entrance examination for M.A Persian at the Jamia Milia Islamia University.
While passing the order Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh said that clearing the exams is necessary for Tanha to pursue M.A. in Persian, and that leniency must be shown to the accused by allowing him to appear for the said exams. He also directed the Tihar Jail superintendent to provide necessary assistance, provided it is within the permissibility of the jail rules, after Tanha’s advocate submitted before the court that her client did not have the required reading material to prepare for the upcoming exams.
Delhi court rejects bail application of Anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Asif Iqbal Tanha
It is pertinent to note here that prior to October 27, Tanha’a bail plea was also rejected on September 3. In fact, on both occasions, the riot-accused Asif Iqbal Tanha was denied bail by the same Delhi court. While hearing Asif’s case, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had then noted that the witness testimonies reflected his role in engineering the conspiracy and orchestrating a ‘chakka-jam’ that culminated into the riots. As per reports, protected witnesses have stated that Asif was one of the primary coordinators of the conspiracy.
The primary coordinator of the Jamia riots
As per the report, Asif Iqbal admitted to orchestrating riots and a march of 2500-3000 people from the Gate no.7 of Jamia Millia Islamia on December 12. He revealed that Sharjeel Imam gave a provocative speech to encourage ‘protestors’ to execute a ‘chakka jam’ on December 13.
Asif confessed to organising a ‘Gandhi peace march’ on December 15 from the Jamia metro station to the Parliament via Zakir Nagar and Batla House. He stated that the purpose of naming it after Mahatma Gandhi was to lure more people into joining the march. Moreover, in a statement made to the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, Delhi riots accused Asif Iqbal Tanha had also confessed that he wanted to turn India into an Islamic republic.