Supreme Court denies bail to persons accused in illegality case in connection with 2020 Bengaluru riots
New Delhi: By declining to impede the ongoing National Investigation Agency investigation, the Supreme Court on Thursday denied bail to a number of defendants in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case related to the Bengaluru Riots of 2020.
A bench of Justices BV Nagarathana and SC Sharma, however, noted that the absence of special UAPA courts in Karnataka has caused an excessive delay in the start of the case’s trial and ordered the Karnataka government to establish more of them.
“The Registrar General of the High Court of Karnataka, in consultation with the State government and after obtaining instruction from the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, set up special courts for UAPA cases registered either by the State Government or the NIA,” the court stated in its rulings.
The court has mandated that the same be completed within three months.
About 150 members of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) were among the defendants who petitioned the highest court for bail.
Their attorney said that the trial in this case has been waiting for a long time and is not anticipated to start anytime soon.
He said that there are many NIA cases pending in Karnataka since there aren’t enough courts to hear them.
The Home Ministry of the federal government has already requested that the state governments establish more special courts for UAPA cases, the court was informed.
The Karnataka High Court has instructed the state government to establish more courts in this area, according to the Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG). The Karnataka government hasn’t followed these instructions, however.
Following consideration of the arguments, the Court instructed the State government to establish more courts in coordination with the State High Court in order to guarantee a speedy hearing of these matters.
Additionally, it instructed the accused individuals and the NIA of the central government to work together in this respect.
The case included a number of arrests made by the NIA in 2020 after riots and a violent assault at the Bengaluru police stations of DJ Halli and KG Halli.
The alleged rioters belong to the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the SDPI, according to the NIA.
Nearly 60 police officers were hurt in the event, and three persons lost their lives.
