A Delhi court has granted two months' time to the Delhi Police to conclude probe and file a charge-sheet in a case pertaining to conspiracy behind the riots in northeast Delhi in Frebruary this year.
Various students and activists have been arrested under the Unlawful Activity Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the case and are currently lodged in jail. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police is probing the case.
Those arrested include Tahir Hussain, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Ishrat Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Gufisha Fatima, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha and others. Former JNU student Umar Khalid is also an accused, but has not bee arrested yet.
The Delhi Police approached the court seeking more time to file the charge-sheet in the case, on the grounds that the key conspirators are yet to be arrested and the source of funding is to be probed.
Generally, the charge-sheet needs to be filed within 90 days of arrest but in cases related to the stringent UAPA, it can be filed within 180 days.
"The conspiracy is multi-layered and the same needs to be unearthed," the police said, seeking extension till September 17.
The application was allowed by the court. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana noted, "The IO is not divested of his obligations of concluding investigation expeditiously. Therefore, he is permitted to conclude the pending investigation within 60 days from today i.e. 14.08.2020."
On Monday, the Delhi High Court had designated four special courts for holding trials in cases relating to the violence and clashes that broke out in northeast Delhi in February this year.
The high court has created two magistrate courts and two sessions courts for holding trials in connection with the Delhi riots.
( With inputs from IANS )