The Delhi High Court on Monday granted three weeks’ interim bail to jailed student activist Natasha Narwal, to enable her to perform the last rites of her father, Mahavir Narwal who passed away due to COVID-19 in Rohtak, Haryana.
The court noted that there is nobody else in the family to perform the cremation and last rites and that her father’s body is waiting in the hospital to be accepted.
“In view of the interest of justice, we are of the view that the release of the applicant is imperative in this hour of grief and personal loss and in facts and circumstances of the case. We accordingly release Natash Narwal, the applicant, on three weeks interim bail subject to the following conditions,” the batch ordered, according to Livelaw network.
The 31-year-old research scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University, is jailed since May 2020 for Delhi pogrom conspiracy case.
Amit Mahajan, for the State, submitted that the averments are correct and that the State does not oppose the application. Advocate Adit S Pujari appeared for Narwal.
“Is there no other member in the family to do the cremation?” Justice Mridul asked.
“There is no one, your lordships. Her mother passed away 15 years ago. Her brother is down with Covid,” Pujari responded.
The relief is subject to furnishing of a personal bond in the sum of Rs. 50,000 to the satisfaction of Jail Superintendent. The bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup J. Bhambhani exempted her from filing sureties due to the situation.
Narwal has been named in three FIRs filed separately by different units of the Delhi Police linked with anti-Muslim violence in Delhi last year.
