Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam And 8 Others Denied Bail In 2020 Delhi Riots Case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, September 2 denied bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and seven other accused persons in the 2020 Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case. A division bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur had reserved the order on their petition against a trial court order denying them bail. Those who filed the bail pleas included Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed. A separate bail plea filed by Tasleem Ahmed in the case was also rejected. 

During the hearings, Umar Khalid submitted that merely being on WhatsApp groups, without sending any message, is no criminality. Umar Khalid also said that no money or items were recovered from him, and that the so-called secret meeting on the night of February 23–24, 2020 was not secret at all, as the prosecution claimed. Sharjeel Imam argued that he has no connection with any of the other accused and denied participating in any conspiracy or related meetings, contrary to the claims of the Delhi Police. His lawyer, Advocate Talib Mustafa, pointed out that the prosecution's allegations against Imam only extend up to January 23, 2020, with the last act attributed to him being a speech delivered in Bihar.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi Police, opposed the bail requests, stating that anyone acting against the country should remain in custody until the court reaches a verdict. He further contended that the accused had intended to tarnish India's image internationally by orchestrating riots and arson on specific dates. The Delhi Police team also included Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad. A case was filed by the Special Cell of Delhi Police under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as well as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Those named in the case include Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan, and Natasha Narwal.

What is the Case About?

The 2020 Northeast Delhi riots were one of the deadliest episodes of communal violence in the national capital in recent years. The unrest broke out in late February 2020, coinciding with protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), and quickly escalated into violent clashes between different communities. Over the course of three days, large parts of Northeast Delhi witnessed arson, stone-pelting, looting, and brutal attacks, leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 others injured. The violence caused massive damage to property, including homes, shops, religious places, and vehicles, with entire localities bearing the scars of destruction. Many families were displaced, and survivors continue to deal with both the physical and psychological trauma.

Investigations into the riots led to the registration of hundreds of cases, with the Delhi Police Special Cell later invoking provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against several activists, students, and political figures, alleging a larger conspiracy behind the unrest. Critics, however, argued that the probe was biased and targeted dissenters of the government's policies.

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