Delhi High Court permits Natasha Narwal to travel to UK

The Delhi High Court has granted permission to activist and PhD scholar Natasha Narwal to travel to the United Kingdom for academic purposes. Narwal, who is currently out on bail in connection with cases arising from the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, is permitted to travel from November 2 to December 1, 2026.

Justice Amit Bansal directed the trial court to release Narwal’s passport and ordered that any pending look out circular against her be suspended for the duration of her trip. The permission is subject to several conditions, including the execution of personal bonds of Rs 50,000 for each of the two riots-related cases against her. Additionally, Narwal and her brother must provide a written undertaking that she will return to India and not seek asylum in the UK.

Narwal, a researcher at the University of Warwick focusing on carceral labour, intends to meet her PhD supervisor and present her research at an annual academic conference. The plea was opposed by the Delhi Police, who expressed concerns regarding the possibility of her not returning to India, citing strict extradition laws in the UK.