Ishrat Jahan is an Indian practising advocate and former municipal councillor for the Indian National Congress[1] in Delhi who is an accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act[2] and was granted bail on 14 March 2022 after her incarceration since February 2020.[3]
Ishrat Jahan | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Known for | Former politician, UAPA case |
| Political party | Indian National Congress |
| Movement | Citizenship Amendment Act protests |
Biography edit
Jahan has been a practising advocate with the Bar Council of Delhi since 2006.[4][5] She was elected a councillor for Jagatpuri (an urban ward in Krishna Nagar, Delhi)[6] under the Indian National Congress ticket in 2012.[7]
Ishrat Jahan was a prominent activist in the Citizenship Amendment Act protests that began on 13 January 2020.[2][7] She was arrested on 26 February 2020[4] along with two other activists on a variety of charges.[2] Lawyers from the Indian Civil Liberties Union and the Human Rights Law Network who went to the police station to seek their release were allegedly beaten by police.[2] After Jahan was granted bail on 21 March 2020, she was arrested again the same day for charges related to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).[4][7]
Ishrat Jahan was accused of giving provocative speeches leading up to the violence that rocked northeast Delhi in February 2020 during the Citizenship Amendment Act protests.[8][9] In May 2020, she was granted ten days bail to get married in June 2020.[10] Ishrat married Farhan Hashmi on 12 June 2020.[4] Thereafter, she was denied interim bail and returned to jail on 19 June.[6][11] On 31 July 2020, her appeal to the Delhi High Court against a trial court order granting the police more time to file a chargesheet was denied.[12] She was again denied bail on 27 November 2020.[13]
She was lodged at the Mandoli jail until March 2022, where she complained of being harassed on a regular basis and beaten by the inmates in at least two incidents (in November and December 2020). A district court judge noted that Jahan was in a state of "utter fear" and directed jail authorities to provide security to her.[14][15][16][11][17]
On 14 March 2022, Jahan got bail in all pending cases against her.[3] After she was released, she continued to assert that she has been wrongly accused and that the anti-CAA protests were not linked to violence.[18]
Further reading edit
- Iyer, A. S. (24 July 2021). "'Driven, tolerant and Warm': Who Is Ishrat Jahan, beyond being a UAPA Accused?". The Quint. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
References edit
- ^ "Former Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan seeks interim bail due to Covid outbreak in prison". ThePrint. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d Johari, Aarefa (27 February 2020). "Two anti-CAA activists arrested by Delhi police were tortured in custody, allege family members". Scroll.in. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ a b Mohan J., Anand (14 March 2022). "Northeast Delhi riots: Ex-Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan granted bail in UAPA case". Indian Express. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
- ^ a b c d Iyer, Aishwarya S (17 June 2020). "'Want to Live in the Moment': Inside UAPA Accused Ishrat's Wedding". The Quint. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Delhi riots: Ex-Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan seeks interim bail due to COVID-19 outbreak in prison". The New Indian Express. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Court refuses to extend interim bail to Ishrat Jahan". The Hindu. 20 June 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Kalra, Aparna (13 June 2020). "In the Middle of Modi's UAPA Dragnet, a Wedding, and Some Fighting Spirit". The Wire. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
- ^ "Delhi violence: Court refuses to extend interim bail of ex-Congress councilor Ishrat Jahan". Asian News International. 19 June 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ Bhatia, Atul (29 February 2020). "Ishrat Jahan, ex-Congress municipal councillor, arrested for inciting violence during Delhi riots". IndiaTV. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Delhi Violence: Ex-Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan, Arrested In Delhi Violence Case, Gets Bail To Get Married". NDTV. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ a b Iyer, Aishwarya S (23 December 2020). "Delhi Riots: Women in Jail Indulge in Vulgar Acts, Says Ishrat". The Quint. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Delhi riots: HC dismisses Ishrat Jahan's plea". Siasat Daily. IANS. 31 July 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Court denies interim bail to Ishrat Jahan in Delhi riots case". Yahoo! News. Press Trust of India. 27 November 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Harassed, Abused: Ex-Councillor Ishrat Jahan, Jailed In Delhi Riots Case". NDTV. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Ex-Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan claims being assaulted inside Mandoli prison". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ "Delhi riots: Ishrat Jahan alleges in court beating, harassment by jail inmates". National Herald. Press Trust of India. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ "Delhi violence: Ishrat Jahan alleges assault, harassment in jail, asks for a transfer". Scroll.in. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- ^ Aafaq, Zafar (22 March 2022). "India: Muslim activist recounts two 'painful' years in jail". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 4 February 2023.