SC Defers Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Bail Hearing In Delhi Riots Case to 22 Sept

The Supreme Court on Friday (19 September) deferred the hearing on bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to 22 September, reported The New Indian Express.

The hearing challenges the Delhi High Court’s 2 September order, which denied bail to nine accused, including Khalid and Imam.

Other accused whose bail pleas were rejected include Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Shadab Ahmed.

The High Court ruled that violence disguised as protest cannot be permitted, citing concerns over national security and public order. While acknowledging the constitutional right to protest under Article 19(1)(a), the court emphasised that this right is not absolute and must adhere to legal boundaries.

The February 2020 riots broke out amid anti-CAA protests, leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Khalid, Imam, and the other accused have remained in custody since 2020.

Their bail pleas were previously rejected by a trial court before the High Court’s ruling.

Imam secured bail from the Delhi High Court last year over alleged speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University.

In sedition cases, the Allahabad High Court granted him bail in 2021 (Aligarh) and the Gauhati High Court in 2020 (Guwahati).

He also faces FIRs filed in Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur.

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