Former Congress municipal councillor Ishrat Jahan was granted bail on Monday in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.

Jahan is the first to get bail from a sessions court in this case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Others, including students Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Safoora Zargar as well as shopkeeper Faizan Khan, have earlier been granted bail by Delhi High Court.

The bail order from additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat of Karkardooma Courts was yet to be uploaded on the court website when this report was filed.

The prosecution opposed the bail and said Jahan was in touch with the other accused for organising protests against the new citizenship regime, which the police had held responsible for the communal riots in February 2020 that claimed 53 lives.

Jahan’s lawyer Pradeep Teotia argued that she had been falsely implicated as no evidence had been shown of her involvement in a conspiracy. Teotia said his client was of high personal standing in all communities, having been elected from a ward where Muslims were a minority in 2012.

Jahan and others are accused under the UAPA, Arms Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and offences under the Indian Penal Code, including conspiracy.

Jahan was granted bail for 10 days in 2020 to get married to former Congress MP Parvez Hashmi’s son Farhan.

She had complained of repeated assaults by inmates in Mandoli prison and was denied medical bail after she injured her spine due to a fall there last year.

Those awaiting trial in jail include suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, students Meeran Haider and Sharjeel Imam, Jamia Millia Islamia alumni office-bearer Shifa-ur-Rehman, activists Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and several Muslim youths of North East Delhi where the riots took place.

Verdicts on the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Imam and co-accused Saleem Malik are expected next week.