NEW DELHI – The Uttarakhand High Court has granted bail to a young Muslim man, Muhammad Tasleem, who had been kept in jail for 18 months in connection with the Haldwani riot case despite no credible evidence being produced against him.
A division bench comprising Justices Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Jashar Purohit passed the order on Saturday after hearing detailed arguments presented by Tasleem’s lawyers, CK Sharma and Mujahid Ahmed. The defence highlighted how Tasleem had been jailed without justification, with the prosecution failing to establish his involvement in the alleged violence.
During the hearing, advocates CK Sharma and Mujahid Ahmed argued that Tasleem was being unfairly targeted. They told the court that the chargesheet filed by the prosecution lacked any concrete proof.
“The only allegation against my client is that he was present in the crowd,” said advocate Mujahid Ahmed. “But mere presence cannot establish participation in violence. There is no CCTV footage, no weapon recovery, and no independent witness against him.”
They also stressed that Tasleem comes from a poor family and had never been involved in any unlawful activity before. “This case reflects how innocent Muslims are being harassed,” CK Sharma added.
On the other hand, government lawyer BN Mulkhi opposed the bail plea, insisting there was evidence against Tasleem. He pointed to a journalist’s statement alleging Tasleem’s involvement. However, the high court rejected this as weak and insufficient.
This story was originally published in clarionindia.net. Read the full story here.