New Delhi: A city court on Wednesday (January 29) granted five-day custody parole to Delhi riots accused Shafa ur Rehman to contest and campaign for the Delhi assembly elections.
Rehman, who is contesting the upcoming Delhi assembly polls from Okhla seat on an All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) ticket, sought interim bail for four weeks, submitting that he needed to campaign for the polls.
Court took note of apex court order
Additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai took note of the Supreme Court order, which on January 28 granted custody parole to co-accused former councillor Tahir Hussain to campaign for the assembly elections, and observed that the top court granted him six-day custody parole.
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“Although the present case and the case in which the co-accused Mohammad Tahir Hussain has been granted custody parole by the Supreme Court (on January 28) are altogether different, still when the Supreme Court has declined the interim bail of the co-accused and only granted custody parole to him, this court should also follow the same,” the court said, news agency PTI reported.
Delhi Police opposed plea for interim bail
Rehman’s plea was opposed by the Delhi Police, which argued that campaigning for elections was an unreasonable ground for granting the relief and he could be released only on custody parole.
What are the conditions set by court?
The court ordered Rehman to be released for election campaigning under police protection from January 30 to February 5 for 12 hours, each day, on depositing Rs 2.07 lakh towards security expenses. It directed the jail superintendent and the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) concerned to provide the “exact amount” for meeting the expenses of his five-day custody parole.
The court also allowed him to stay in his home in Jamia Nagar, visit the office of the party, attend meetings, sign documents and meet his campaign managers and advocates. It, however, directed Rehman not to make any comments on cases pending against him during his speeches or at press conferences.
