The Delhi High Court has rejected the bail applications of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are implicated in the 2020 Delhi riots. The court announced its decision on Tuesday. Additionally, the court denied bail to Tasleem Ahmed, who was arrested under UAPA in connection to the same case. The verdict was delivered by a bench of Justices Subramaniam Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar.
Earlier, the court had reserved its judgment on the bail applications on July 10th. During the hearings, the Delhi Police opposed the granting of bail.
The court also reserved its decision on the bail pleas of several other individuals, including Mohammad Salim Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima. The prosecution argued strongly against the bail applications, stating that the riots were not just a spontaneous event but a carefully planned conspiracy with a specific, harmful objective.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the prosecution, asserted that the riots were part of a broader conspiracy designed to damage India’s reputation internationally and that prolonged imprisonment should not be the sole factor in determining bail. He further argued that those who act against the nation should remain incarcerated until they are acquitted.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and other accused face charges under UAPA and the Indian Penal Code for allegedly masterminding the February 2020 riots. The riots resulted in the tragic loss of 53 lives, with over 700 people injured. The violence erupted amidst protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The bail applications of Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, and others have been pending in the High Court since 2022 and have been considered by different benches over time.