The Supreme Court refused to grant bail to 2020 Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. Umar and Sharjeel had sought bail citing their detention for over five years, but the court denied their request, deeming their roles in the case central to the proceedings. However, the court granted bail to five other co-accused who had filed petitions along with them.
Those granted bail by the Supreme Court are Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rahman, Mohammad Saleem, and Shadab Ahmed. They had also argued that they had been in jail for over five years. A bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria considered their roles in the riots less significant than those of Sharjeel and Umar, and granted them relief on that basis.
The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi Police to expedite the trial in the lower court. The court also stated that Sharjeel and Umar Khalid can file fresh bail applications after the examination of the main witnesses in the case. If there is a delay, they can seek bail from the trial court one year after this order.
The clashes in February 2020, stemming from protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), resulted in the deaths of 53 people and injuries to hundreds. The accused are alleged to have conspired to incite the riots. The Delhi Police registered FIRs against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including rioting, unlawful assembly, and criminal conspiracy, as well as under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Most of the accused face multiple FIRs. The Delhi Police also argued that the accused intended to spread violence across the country and undermine national integrity.
