Delhi High Court Rejects Bail Pleas Of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam And Others In 2020 Riots Conspiracy Case

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (2 September) dismissed bail applications filed by nine accused, including former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur upheld earlier trial court orders denying bail, stating briefly in court, “All appeals are dismissed,” according to Bar&Bench report.

The nine appellants also included Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima.

The accused had sought bail on grounds of prolonged incarceration, noting that the trial court has yet to frame charges. In a parallel development, another Bench rejected the bail plea of co-accused Tasleem Ahmed earlier in the day.

Khalid, arrested in September 2020, faces charges of criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly and offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

His first bail plea was denied by the trial court in March 2022, and later by the High Court in October the same year. He then moved the Supreme Court, where proceedings were adjourned multiple times before he withdrew his plea in February 2024.

His subsequent application before the trial court was rejected in May, prompting the present appeal.

Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, representing Khalid, argued that there was no evidence of violence or fundraising against him, stressing that his speeches were “rooted in Gandhian principles”. He contended that Khalid’s limited presence in WhatsApp groups did not amount to criminality.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi Police, opposed the bail pleas, asserting that the accused were “preparing to divide the nation on the basis of religion” and that those engaged in such activities were not entitled to bail.

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