2020 Delhi riots: SC to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam today

The Supreme Court will hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case today, after the High Court earlier denied their bail.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is set to hear the bail pleas of former JNU students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, along with Meeran Haider and Gulfisha Fatima, in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case on Friday.

The matter is listed before a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria.

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The hearing was initially scheduled for September 12 but was deferred after Justice Kumar informed the court that he had received the case files at 2:30 a.m., leaving insufficient time for review. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and C.U. Singh are representing the petitioners.

The bail applicants face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in a case linked to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence that rocked North-East Delhi in February 2020.

The Delhi High Court had earlier, on September 2, denied bail to Imam, Khalid, and seven others, including Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Athar Khan, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shadab Ahmed, and Khalid Saifi. Another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was denied bail by a separate bench.

Delhi Police have strongly opposed the bail applications, claiming the riots were not spontaneous but the result of a premeditated and coordinated conspiracy. According to police, the accused played active roles in orchestrating the violence with a “sinister motive.”

The High Court, while denying bail, observed that the involvement of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam appeared “serious” at the prima facie stage. It pointed to speeches allegedly delivered by them, which, according to the court, were communal in nature and intended to mobilize large crowds.

The 2020 violence erupted amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The unrest resulted in the deaths of 53 people and left more than 700 injured. Sharjeel Imam was arrested in 2020 under UAPA and accused of playing a central role in inciting the violence.