Now Reading: Citizens urge CJI to review Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam custody
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Citizens urge CJI to review Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam custody
More than 100 writers, academics, filmmakers and public figures have urged the Chief Justice of India to intervene in the continued incarceration of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The two are…
The Story in Brief
More than 100 writers, academics, filmmakers and public figures have urged the Chief Justice of India to intervene in the continued incarceration of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The two are accused in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots and have been in custody for nearly six years, though their trial has not begun.
The letter invokes the Supreme Court’s 2021 K.A. Najeeb ruling, which said prolonged detention can breach the right to a speedy trial even under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The signatories note that the Delhi case has about 900 prosecution witnesses. They also cite recent Supreme Court proceedings on bail and liberty, and urge consistent application of the principle that bail should be the rule.
The Indian Opinion
The loudest claims on this case often reduce it either to unquestionable national security or automatic political persecution. Neither slogan answers the legal problem of keeping undertrials jailed for years before evidence is tested. A large witness list may explain delay, but it cannot by itself justify indefinite custody. The fair test is whether the trial now has a credible timetable, and whether the courts apply the speedy-trial standard consistently.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
