Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, 7 Others Denied Bail In 2020 Delhi Riots Case

(MENAFN- Live Mint) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, along with seven others, in the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots.

The Delhi court held that the accused must remain in custody while trial proceedings continue.“All appeals are dismissed,” Bar and Bench quoted bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur said.

Also Read | Delhi HC reserves order on Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam bail pleas Who were denied bail in 2020 Delhi Riots Case?

The Delhi High Court also turned down bail applications of Gulfisha Fatima, United Against Hate (UAH) founder Khalid Saifi, Athar Khan , Mohd Saleem, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Meeran Haider, and Shadaab Ahmed.

In a separate ruling, a different bench dismissed the plea of Tasleem Ahmed, another accused in the same case.

Also Read | 'Can't hear it endlessly': HC raps police in Delhi riots accused bail pleas Why did Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, other activists seek bail?

The 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy accused argued that their prolonged incarceration without charges being framed amounted to a denial of justice.

Some of their bail applications had been pending since 2022, and they contended that the delay in trial was the principal reason to grant them relief.

TMC MP Mahua Moitra took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice her dissent over the Delhi HC verdict, and said,“Delhi HC denies bail to Umar Khalid & 6 others after 5 years of incarceration, where nothing has even moved in the case. Grossest travesty of justice. We have to fight in SC now.”

Also Read | Umar Khalid granted seven days of interim bail to attend his cousin's wedding What did the prosecution say?

Opposing the bail pleas, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta claimed the 2020 Delhi riots were the result of a planned conspiracy and not a spontaneous incident.

According to Bar and Bench report, S-G Tushar Mehta alleged that Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others conspired to divide the nation on religious lines, coordinating their activities through WhatsApp groups.“Those indulging in anti-national activities are not entitled to bail,” he argued.

Also Read | Sharjeel Imam gets statutory bail in sedition case related to 2020 Delhi riots What did Umar Khalid's lawyer say?

According to a Bar and Bench report, Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, appearing for Khalid, submitted that his client had been in custody since September 2020 and had repeatedly been denied bail.

Pais argued that Umar Khalid's presence in WhatsApp groups cited by police did not amount to wrongdoing, noting that he rarely sent messages and only shared a protest location once. Pais added that Khalid faced no allegations of violence or fundraising, and maintained that his speeches were based on Gandhian principles.

Also Read | HC issues notice to Delhi Police on Umar Khalid's bail plea What are the charges against Umar Khalid, 8 others?

Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and the other accused have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). They are alleged to be key conspirators behind the riots, which broke out during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The 2020 Delhi riots broke out in north-east Delhi during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC. The violence left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured over three days of clashes.

MENAFN02092025007365015876ID1110004847