Supreme Court Denies Bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in Delhi Riots Case
Bail Denied for Student Activists
5 others granted bail
S Gopal Puri
New Delhi:
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to grant bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are implicated in a case concerning a purported conspiracy related to the February 2020 Delhi riots. The court cited evidence suggesting the existence of a criminal scheme. Both individuals have been incarcerated for over five years under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A bench led by Justice Aravind Kumar upheld the Delhi High Court's decision to deny bail to Khalid and Imam. However, the apex court did grant bail to five other co-accused—Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed—considering the specifics of their involvement.
Khalid, Imam, and the five others had appealed to the Supreme Court after the high court refused to provide them relief in a case filed by the Delhi Police under the UAPA, alleging their participation in a broader conspiracy behind the communal unrest that occurred in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
Allegations of a Coordinated Conspiracy
Police cite well-planned pan-India conspiracy
The police assert that the actions attributed to the accused were not spontaneous protests but rather part of a meticulously planned nationwide conspiracy aimed at undermining the nation. Investigators claim that the alleged plot was timed to coincide with the visit of then US President Donald Trump, intending to attract international media attention and globalize opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The Delhi Police have argued that the CAA issue was intentionally selected as a 'radicalizing catalyst,' disguised under the pretense of peaceful protest, and was part of a larger strategy involving 'economic strangulation' and a so-called 'regime change' agenda.
The seven accused—Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Md. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed—face charges under Section 13 of the UAPA, 1967, along with various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups, and making statements conducive to public mischief. The allegations suggest actions that challenge the sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of India.
Impact of the Delhi Riots
Delhi riots claimed 53 lives
The riots, which erupted amid protests against the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), resulted in 53 fatalities and left over 700 individuals injured.
Additionally, the case has garnered international attention. Recently, New York's newly elected Muslim Mayor Zohran Mamdani expressed his support for Umar Khalid in a letter. A group of US lawmakers has also reached out to India's Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, advocating for a 'fair and timely trial' for Khalid in line with international law.
In opposing bail, the Delhi Police characterized the 2020 violence as an 'orchestrated, pre-planned, and well-designed' assault on the Indian state, claiming it was executed under the guise of peaceful protest and posed a significant threat to national security.