The Delhi High Court has dismissed activist Devangana Kalita’s plea for access to certain video recordings and WhatsApp chats related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots case. This decision clears the way for the trial court to finalize the framing of charges in the alleged larger conspiracy case. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna vacated an interim order that had previously restrained the trial court from passing a final order on the charges.
With the rejection of Kalita’s plea, the trial court can now move forward with the case. Kalita had argued that the videos and chats were crucial for her defense, showing her involvement in peaceful protests. Despite this, the High Court allowed her application to inspect the police storage facility for physical evidence and unrelied documents.
The Delhi Police have alleged that student activists, including Kalita, conspired to incite the riots in North-East Delhi during 2019-2020 protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Kalita, along with other accused, was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in June 2021, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court. Recent developments in the case include bail denials for some accused and grants for others, with ongoing legal proceedings.
