Uttarakhand High Court Grants Bail in Haldwani Violence

The Uttarakhand High Court granted default bail to 50 individuals arrested in connection with the violent protests in Haldwani following the demolition of a madrasa in February. The clashes resulted in at least six deaths and injuries to around 100 police personnel. The court ruled that no chargesheet was filed within the mandatory 90-day period, dismissing a lower court's extension of the investigation timeline. Senior advocate Nitya Rama Krishnan represented the accused, who argued that the police failed to justify the continued detention. Although a chargesheet was eventually filed on July 6, the high court emphasized the incorrectness of the lower court's decisions to extend the detention. The unrest had escalated after protests against the anti-encroachment drive, leading to significant violence and the imposition of a curfew in the area.