New Delhi: Delhi High Court Friday permitted activist Natasha Narwal, who is out on bail as an accused in cases arising from the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, to travel to the United Kingdom for academic purposes.Justice Amit Bansal, while permitting her to travel, directed the trial court to release Narwal’s passport and clarified that any pending look-out circular against her would be suspended during her travel.Narwal, a PhD scholar, said she intended to travel to the UK for an academic conference between Nov 2 and Dec 1.HC further asked Narwal and her brother to give a written undertaking that she would return to the country and not seek asylum in the UK. The court also asked her to execute a personal bond of Rs 50,000 each in relation to two riots-related cases against her.“The court is inclined to permit the petitioner to travel to the UK with suitable safeguards. The petitioner would be permitted to travel to the UK from Nov 2 to Dec 1. The trial court is directed to release the passport of the petitioner,” HC ordered, adding she will surrender her passport within 48 hours of her return and not make any statement on the merits of the cases pending against her during her visit.HC noted that Narwal, who is pursuing a PhD from a university in the UK, was required to be there to present her research work.Delhi Police opposed her plea, expressing apprehensions she might not return to India.Last week, the trial court had refused to permit Narwal to travel to the UK in view of the seriousness of the case against her and the stage of proceedings.She was named as an accused by Delhi Police in three FIRs registered in connection with the protest during the violence in northeast Delhi in 2020, including the ‘larger conspiracy’ case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).Communal clashes broke out in northeast Delhi on Feb 24, 2020, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.Narwal, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Umar Khalid and others have been accused of being the “masterminds” behind the violence that took place at a time when US President Donald Trump and other dignitaries were in the national capital.In June 2021, the high court had granted bail to Narwal and Devangana Kalita in the UAPA case, observing that “in an anxiety to suppress dissent, the state has blurred the line between right to protest and terrorist activity” and if such a mindset gains traction, it would be a “sad day for democracy”.
