No relief to Haldwani riot ‘mastermind’s’ son and co-accused

Dehradun: Uttarakhand high Court, while granting no relief to a bail petition related to last year's Haldwani riots case, orally questioned why Abdul Moied, son of the prime accused Abdul Malik, did not surrender when police were looking for him. The division bench, comprising senior justice Manoj Tiwari and justice Pankaj Purohit, asked, "Why didn't you surrender when police were after you?" His lawyer responded that Moied feared being killed in a police encounter. The bench, however, dismissed this argument, saying, "Encounters happen with dacoits and robbers." Riots broke out in Haldwani's Banphoolpura locality following the demolition of an illegally constructed madrasa and a prayer site on govt land in Feb 2024, leaving five dead and several police personnel and locals injured. Moied was arrested after 20 days by police from Delhi. Both he and his father have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court instructed the state govt to submit its objections to their petitions and directed that the petition be listed along with related matters after two weeks, depending on the bench's availability. The court convened a joint hearing on Friday afternoon regarding the bail applications of several riot accused. During the proceedings, an additional affidavit was submitted on behalf of Moied, asserting his absence from the scene during the incident. His counsel argued that he was not involved in any conspiracy and was not part of a meeting that took place at Malik's residence the night before the riots broke out. However, the court countered this argument, stating, "Your presence indicates that you were also involved. If you went to consult a lawyer, the meeting should have taken place at the lawyer's office, not at your home." The judges further questioned, "If a crime (conspiracy) was being committed in your house, shouldn't you inform the police, being a law-abiding citizen?" The HC instructed the govt to examine the affidavit and submit a report. While hearing another accused's bail application, the court directed the govt to prepare and present a charge sheet for all accused present during the incident.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's Day wishes, messages and quotes !