Pregnant student Safoora Zargar of CAA riots fame gets released on bail

The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Safoora Zargar, a pregnant student who was arrested for instigating violence in Jamia University during the CAA-NRC riots in December. The verdict was issued stating humanitarian grounds and emphasised on the fact that this should not be set as a precedent for similar issues in the future.

Justice Rajiv Shakder, who issued the verdict, said that she was released on furnishing a personal bond of ₹10,000 as a surety amount and that she should not be indulging in any such activity for which reason she was charged in the first place.

Safoora Zargar, 27, was arrested on April 10 on conspiracy charges over the riots that broke out in February during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. She was granted bail but rearrested on more severe charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Her arrest and incarceration provoked strong condemnation from students and activists and sharply divided social media.

She was let out on humanitarian grounds stating her delicate health due to her stage in pregnancy, although, it further claimed that she was allegedly part of the premeditated conspiracy to incite communal riots in northeast Delhi in February.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and scores injured.