India’s Supreme Court eases weekly police reporting for Delhi riots accused

India’s Supreme Court has partially relaxed a bail condition imposed on Meeran Haider, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, reducing his required police-station appearances from twice a week to once a week. The order came ahead of Haider’s scheduled wedding on October 17. The court also exempted him from appearing at the police station on his wedding day and on October 24.

Haider had been required to report on Mondays and Thursdays between 10am and noon. His lawyer, Siddharth Aggarwal, told the court that the condition caused hardship and affected Haider’s ability to seek employment because both days were working days. With no objection from the government’s law officer, the court moved the reporting day to Saturday at the same time.

The Bench, headed by Justice Aravind Kumar, declined to relax other restrictions. Haider remains barred from attending or speaking at public functions or rallies, either physically or online, until the trial concludes. He and other accused were also prohibited from circulating posts, handbills, posters or banners in electronic or physical form.

The hearing included an exchange after Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju made what he described as a light-hearted comment about Haider marrying at a police station. Haider’s counsel objected, while Raju said the remark had been made in jest.

The Supreme Court granted bail in January to Haider and four other accused, including activists Gulfisha Fatima and Shifa Ur Rehman, while refusing bail to former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The February 2020 northeast Delhi riots occurred during protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens. The source material says 53 people died and more than 700 were injured.

The accused were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and other provisions.