Delhi Riots: Court Grants Bail to Man in Two Cases Saying Nothing on Record Against Him

A court here on Saturday granted bail to a man in two separate cases related to northeast Delhi violence, saying no public witnesses or CCTV footage have come on record to show that he was involved in rioting and chanting slogans against other community.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Purushottam Pathak granted bail to Sunil Sharma in two cases of rioting in Bhajanpura area on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 20,000 and a surety of like amount in each case.

"In the present case, nothing has come on record such as any public witness, CCTV footage or any video recording to show the presence of applicant/accused (Sharma) on the spot and that he was involved in rioting and chanting slogans against other community. No recovery has been effected from him," the court said in its similar order passed in the two cases. The court directed Sharma to join the investigation and not to tamper with evidence or influence any witness in any manner in the cases.

It also said Sharma should maintain peace and harmony in the society and appear before the court on each and every date of hearing to attend the proceedings. During the hearing held through video conferencing, advocate Rajendra Singh Kasana, said Sharma, who was in custody since April, has been falsely implicated in the cases.

Kasana further claimed that Sharma has not been named in the FIR and nothing has been recovered from him. Special Public Prosecutor Rajiv Krishan Sharma, appearing for the state, opposed the bail plea, saying Sharma, while a member of unlawful assembly, allegedly indulged in looting, arsoning, damaging public and private properties. The public prosecutor further alleged that Sharma was actively involved in riots and chanted slogans against other community.

Constables Yogesh and Bhagirath have also identified him in the two cases, the public prosecutor claimed. 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.