Published 18:12 IST, January 21st 2020
Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad free to visit Delhi; court modifies bail condition
In a big relief to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, Tis Hazari Court has modified the Jan 15 bail conditions, that ordered Azad to stay away from Delhi
In a big relief to Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad, the Tis Hazari Court on Tuesday has modified the January 15 bail conditions, that ordered Azad to stay away from Delhi for a month. The Court had on January 15 said that during the Delhi assembly election, Azad cannot visit the national capital. Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau modified her own verdict, saying that the other party was unable to present any evidence to show that Azad's presence will cause violence in the national capital.
However, while modifying the bail condition, Additional Sessions Judge Lau has said that there should be maximum participation in a democracy. "In a democracy where elections are the biggest celebration, there is a need to ensure maximum participation. when there are conditions which came in the way, they are required to be modified." The judge also discarded the allegation of hate speech on Azad. However, the Court has added that DCP should be informed about his visit and schedule.
What was in the bail plea seeking modification?
Seeking modification of the conditions imposed on him by the Tis Hazari court while granting him bail, Azad's advocate Mehmood Pracha and O P Bharti said that he was not a "criminal" and claimed imposing conditions were "wrong and undemocratic." The plea also referred to Azad’s health problems, stating that he was undergoing treatment at AIIMS and in case of an emergency, it would not be possible to seek the permission of the Delhi Police to return to the national capital.
Delhi Court gives bail to Azad
Last week, Delhi's Tiz Hazari Court granted bail to Azad after he was arrested by the Delhi police - 25 days ago, for a bail bond of Rs. 25,000. Delivering the verdict, Lau ordered Azad to leave Delhi for 4 weeks, saying that she does not want any interference with the upcoming Delhi elections. Azad has also been asked to appear before a police station in his native district of Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh every Saturday for four weeks, after being released from Tihar jail.
While hearing the bail plea, earlier on Tuesday, the judge pulled up Delhi and Uttar Pradesh cops and asked them the reason for not granting permission to protest at religious places. Azad along with 15 other people was arrested on December 20. Nine of them have been granted bail since then on January 9.
Why was Azad arrested?
On December 20, Azad's outfit had called for a protest against CAA in front of Jama Masjid. Though Azad was denied permission to protest, he was spotted holding up a copy of the Constitution with a photo of BR Ambedkar on it. He was immediately detained by the police, but escaped from their custody and returned to the protest venue. Later that night, Azad surrendered.
As the protest began, protesters started marching from the mosque to Jantar Mantar in central Delhi. However, they were stopped at Delhi Gate when the protest took a violent turn and the crowd refused to back down. A car allegedly set on fire outside Daryaganj police station. Policemen then used water cannons and to disperse the crowd, as per reports.
Updated 18:12 IST, January 21st 2020