Jailed Muslim activist Khalid Saifi Wednesday asked the Delhi High Court: “In which reasonable world will this trial end in the foreseeable future with 15 accused?”
Khalid Saifi and dozens of Muslim men and women have been in jail under draconian UAPA in Delhi pogrom larger conspiracy case since 2020.
Saifi told the Delhi HC that the trial in a case against him was not likely to end soon.
Saifi’s lawyer senior advocate Rebecca John said that Section 43D(5) of the UAPA states that an accused person should not be granted bail if the court believes that a prima facie exists against the person. She, however, referred to a Supreme Court judgement from 2021 in which the bench had upheld the granting of bail under UAPA, noting that the accused person had already spent a significant amount of time in jail.
Saifi had been in custody for about three years, John told the High Court.
“The chargesheet in FIR 59/2020 (larger conspiracy case) has 495 witnesses, 33 protected witnesses, 63 investigating officers, and three supplementary charge sheets. In which reasonable world this trial will end in the future which has about 15 accused persons?” Indian Express quotes John as asking.
The bench listed the matter for arguments by special public prosecutor Amit Prasad for the Delhi Police, on 5 January, 2023
