The High Court on Tuesday asked Delhi Police to respond to a plea by an accused arrested in connection with north-east Delhi riots case, challenging a trial court’s order extending time granted to complete investigation in the case.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru issued notice to Delhi Police on a plea of Khalid, a member of campaign group United Against Hate, who has been booked under the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Mr. Khalid has sought to set aside the trial court’s August 13 order by which police was granted extension till September 17 to complete investigation against 10 people booked under the UAPA in the case.

Delhi Police said since the issue involves largely questions of law, they will file a short note of submissions along with case laws. The court has now listed the case for further hearing on September 1. The plea also sought that Mr. Khalid be released on bail till pendency of the case.

“Grave prejudice has been caused to the petitioner [Mr. Khalid] as without supply of the copy of the said application, and a copy of the prosecutor’s report, the petitioner was unaware of the grounds invoked by the prosecution seeking extension of his detention, thereby depriving him of a fair opportunity to take legitimate and legal grounds available to him, to oppose the said application,” the plea said.

“The State sought to extend the detention of the petitioner and hence it was only fair and reasonable that copies of the application and report should be given to the petitioner,” the plea said.

The prosecutor had said before the trial court that the investigation could not be completed by August 14 in view of the inter-linkages and overall conspiracy. The police had sought extension of time till September 17 for concluding investigation against the 10 accused.