New Delhi [India], January 8 (HBTV): Opposing bail for the accused in the Delhi riots cases, the Delhi police argued before the High Court on Tuesday that the right to life must not be viewed in isolation. A division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur scheduled the matter for further arguments on Wednesday.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sharma, along with Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad, represented the Delhi police during the hearing. The High Court is reviewing bail pleas for multiple accused individuals, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Saleem Khan, Saleem Malik, Athar Khan, and Gulfisha Fatima.

ASG Sharma emphasized that the victims of the riots, who were killed or injured, also had the right to life, asserting that this cannot be seen solely as a right afforded to the accused.

He stated that the riots involved large-scale violence, resulting in hundreds of injuries, including police personnel, and the deaths of 53 individuals. He alleged that the riots were part of a conspiracy orchestrated by forces hostile to India.

Providing data to highlight the gravity of the events, ASG Sharma noted that in the riots of December 2019 and February 2020, 208 police officers were injured, one officer was killed, 700 civilians were injured, and 53 people lost their lives.

Addressing bail considerations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the ASG stated that bail can only be granted if the court finds reasonable grounds to believe the accused is not guilty of the alleged offences.

"In such cases, where the gravity of the offence is evident, jail should be the rule rather than the exception," ASG Sharma argued. He added that contradictions raised by the accused must be rooted in evidence rather than mere claims.

Responding to concerns about trial delays, ASG Sharma maintained that delays in cases involving grave offences are not valid grounds for granting bail. He pointed out that the trial court has already scheduled arguments for framing charges and attributed delays to the accused parties.

In his concluding remarks, the ASG highlighted that the riots caused mass violence and paralyzed the national capital, emphasizing the need to deny bail to the accused under the circumstances. (ANI)