Delhi riots case: SC denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

The Supreme Court on January 5 refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case related to the February 2020 Delhi riots, observing that a prima facie case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is made out against them.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, however, granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad, who are also accused in the same case.
While denying relief to Khalid and Imam, the bench said, “This court is satisfied that the prosecution material discloses a prima facie allegation against the appellants Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The statutory threshold stands attracted qua these appellants. This stage of proceedings does not justify their enlargement on bail.”
The top court had earlier, on December 10, reserved its verdict after hearing detailed arguments from the prosecution and defence. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju appeared for the Delhi Police, while a battery of senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra represented the accused.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and the other accused were booked under stringent provisions of the UAPA along with sections of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, for allegedly being the “masterminds” behind the communal violence that rocked northeast Delhi in February 2020. The riots left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence had erupted amid widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The accused had approached the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order dated September 2, which had denied them bail in what the prosecution has described as the “larger conspiracy” behind the riots.
With Monday’s order, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam will continue to remain in judicial custody, while five other co-accused will be released on bail, subject to conditions imposed by the court.