Supreme Court to Rule on Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Bail Pleas in Delhi Riots Case on January 5

Supreme Court to Rule on Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Bail Pleas in Delhi Riots Case on January 5

The Supreme Court is set to pronounce its verdict on January 5 on the bail pleas of activist Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.

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A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will deliver the ruling, bringing clarity to one of the most closely watched cases linked to the violence in northeast Delhi.

The top court had reserved its judgment on December 10 after hearing extensive arguments from both sides. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju represented the Delhi Police, while the accused were defended by a battery of senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra.

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Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and the other accused were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), along with provisions of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code. Investigators have alleged that they were among the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which claimed 53 lives and left more than 700 people injured in parts of northeast Delhi.

The violence broke out amid widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), triggering days of unrest in the national capital.

The accused had approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court, in an order dated September 2, denied them bail in the case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the riots.

The January 5 verdict is expected to have significant implications for the ongoing legal proceedings and the broader debate around the use of anti-terror laws in riot-related cases.