{"id":5957,"date":"2025-10-10T01:19:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T19:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=5957"},"modified":"2025-10-10T01:22:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T19:52:38","slug":"five-years-behind-bars-without-trial-sc-grants-bail-in-dj-halli-riot-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=5957","title":{"rendered":"Five Years Behind Bars Without Trial: SC Grants Bail in DJ Halli Riot Case"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bangalore Riot Case: SC Grants Bail to Two After Five Years, Criticizes Trial Delay; Questions Remain for Those Who Pleaded Guilty or Are on Default Bail<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to two men accused in the 2020 DJ Halli riots in Bengaluru, citing prolonged incarceration without the start of their trial. The decision draws attention to delays in the judicial process and raises questions about the prosecution\u2019s preparedness.<\/p>\n

The accused, Karim Saddam and Zia-ur-Rehman, have been in custody since their arrest following violent incidents in August 2020, triggered by a controversial social media post. The riots caused significant property damage, including the burning of police vehicles and a Congress legislator\u2019s house.<\/p>\n

Prolonged Detention a Key Factor<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Supreme Court acted after the accused filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP). During hearings, the court noted that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had not filed any objections to the bail requests despite multiple chances. The defense argued that the accused had been held for over five years while the trial had not even begun, with charges only framed recently.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe court took cognizance of the prolonged incarceration and the delayed start of the trial, questioning the continued detention,\u201d said Advocate Rehmatullah Kotwal, representing several accused in the case. He added, \u201cOnce bail is granted, it remains in effect unless the court cancels it. This decision does not affect the ongoing trial.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kotwal also highlighted the wider implications: \u201cThe bail granted to Saddam and Rehmaan could set a precedent for the 37 to 39 other accused, allowing them to seek relief on similar grounds.\u201d He noted that the Supreme Court\u2019s reasoning focused on the basic principle that no one should be held for years without a trial.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Advocate Rehmatullah Kotwal<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Parents of Accused Speak on Their Struggles<\/strong><\/p>\n

Amid the legal developments, the parents of the accused have shared their perspective, emphasizing that they have received no financial support from politicians or external sources. \u201cWe have not received a single rupee from anyone else. All support for legal matters, including adjusting papers, came from Kotwal Sir. We are managing the situation ourselves,\u201d one parent said.<\/p>\n

The parents described the difficulties they face while navigating the legal process. One, who runs a small shop, said, \u201cNo one called us or invited us to any meetings, except for one or two times. We came to meet the officer on our own.\u201d They also expressed frustration over unmet promises made by individuals regarding their children\u2019s situation. \u201cSome people made promises, but none have produced any positive results,\u201d another parent stated.<\/p>\n

Lessons for Other Riot Cases<\/strong><\/p>\n

The ruling also contrasts with other riot cases where bail is harder to obtain. Under Section 43D of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, courts have limited power to grant bail if a prima facie case is established. Kotwal advised, \u201cFor cases like the Hubli riots, higher courts may be the only way to seek release. Some already serving sentences could file for reductions, while others await decisions on pending bail cancellations.\u201d<\/p>\n

The judgment highlights systemic delays in criminal proceedings, reminding authorities of the principle that individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. In the 2020 Bangalore riots, legal outcomes have varied, with some accused obtaining bail after two to three years, underlining the slow pace of justice in mass violence cases.<\/p>\n

\n

\ud83d\udd39 Quotes from Advocate Rehmatullah Kotwal<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. \n

    \u201cThe court took cognizance of the prolonged incarceration and delayed start of the trial, questioning why the accused were kept behind bars for five years without proceedings.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    \u201cOnce bail is granted, it remains in effect unless it is cancelled by the court. This decision will not affect the ongoing trial but restores some balance to justice.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    \u201cThe bail granted to Saddam and Rehmaan could set a precedent for the other 37 accused, giving them a fair chance to seek relief after years of waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    \u201cNo one should be held indefinitely without trial. Justice delayed is justice denied, and this case underlines that truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    \u201cFor those facing similar charges under UAPA, like in the Hubli riots, higher courts may now serve as the only path to relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udd39 Quotes from Parents of the Accused<\/span><\/h3>\n
      \n
    1. \n

      \u201cWe haven\u2019t received a single rupee from anyone. All the legal help we got was from Kotwal Sir. We are struggling but managing on our own.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    2. \n

      \u201cNo minister or official called us or offered help. We came to meet the officers ourselves, hoping someone would listen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    3. \n

      \u201cPeople made promises to support us, but nothing came of them. We feel forgotten in this long legal fight.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

    4. \n

      \u201cOur sons have been in jail for years, and we\u2019ve waited helplessly. The bail order has given us some hope, but the struggle isn\u2019t over.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      <\/div>\n

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      <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Bangalore Riot Case: SC Grants Bail to Two After Five Years, Criticizes Trial Delay; Questions Remain for Those Who Pleaded Guilty or Are on Default Bail New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to two men accused in the 2020 DJ Halli riots in Bengaluru, citing prolonged incarceration without the start of their trial. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5959,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5957","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengaluru"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5957","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5957"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5957\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5962,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5957\/revisions\/5962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5957"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5957"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5957"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}