Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Others Approach Supreme Court After Delhi HC Denies Bail

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on October 27 the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Shifa Ur Rehman, who are challenging the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant them bail in the UAPA case connected to the alleged broader conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria will examine the matter on Monday. Earlier, the bench had issued notices to the Delhi Police regarding their petitions.

On September 2, the Delhi High Court denied bail to Imam, Khalid, and seven others: Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima. Another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, also had his bail plea rejected by a separate High Court bench on the same day.

Delhi Police opposed the bail applications, stating that the case did not involve spontaneous riots but a premeditated plan with a “sinister motive” and a carefully orchestrated conspiracy. The High Court noted that the alleged role of Imam and Khalid in the conspiracy appeared “grave,” citing their inflammatory speeches aimed at mobilising members of the Muslim community.

The accused have approached the Supreme Court for relief under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the larger conspiracy case connected to the February 2020 Delhi riots. Imam was arrested in 2020 under the UAPA and identified as a key conspirator in the case. The riots erupted amid protests against the proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), resulting in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries.

(Inputs from ANI) 

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