The Supreme Court is set to pronounce its verdict on Monday, January 5, regarding the bail pleas of jailed activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the 2020 North East Delhi riots conspiracy case.
A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will deliver the judgment on pleas filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.The petitioners have challenged a September 2 order of the Delhi High Court, which denied them bail in the case related to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 violence. These activists have been serving jail terms without a trial since September 2020, under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the riots that claimed over 40 Muslim lives, more than 700 injuries, and left several homeless.
The Delhi Police have accused Khalid, Imam and others, including Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab, of “instigating the riots and orchestrating violence,” while protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The apex court had earlier reserved its verdict in December last year.The Delhi Police has consistently opposed the bail pleas, stating the 2020 riots were not something spontaneous, but an “orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed” attack on India’s sovereignty.
The Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on December 10 after hearing detailed arguments from the prosecution and the accused. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju appeared for the Delhi Police, while senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra represented the accused.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and the others were booked under the UAPA — India’s anti-terror law — along with provisions of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code, for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the riots. The violence, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured in parts of north-east Delhi.
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