Delhi High Court permits activist Natasha Narwal to travel abroad for research

The Delhi High Court has permitted activist Natasha Narwal to travel to the United Kingdom between November 2 and December 1. Ms. Narwal is out on bail in cases related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots and sought permission to attend an academic conference and present her research. She is pursuing a PhD at a university in the U.K. Justice Amit Bansal directed the trial court to release her passport and stated that any pending lookout circular against her will stay suspended during this travel period. The court asked Ms. Narwal and her brother to submit written undertakings promising that she will return to India and will not seek asylum abroad. She must also furnish a personal bond of fifty thousand rupees in each of the two riots-related cases. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju represented the Delhi police and opposed her plea due to concerns that she might not return. The trial court had earlier rejected her request on October 6 because of the seriousness of the charges and the case stage. Ms. Narwal faces three FIRs linked to the riots, including a larger conspiracy case under the anti-terror law. In June 2021, the High Court granted her bail alongside Devangana Kalita while noting that the state had blurred the line between protest and terrorist activity.

Context

Courts in India routinely place travel restrictions and require personal bonds or formal undertakings from accused individuals who are out on bail before granting permission to travel abroad. These legal safeguards ensure that persons facing ongoing criminal proceedings return to face trial when required by the judicial system.