Delhi High Court rejects bail for Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 30 September, dismissed the third bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt said it could not modify the Supreme Court’s January 5 order, which allowed fresh bail only after the examination of protected witnesses or the expiry of one year. Khalid and Imam have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on allegations of being masterminds of the February 2020 riots that left 53 dead and over 700 injured.

The defence argued a change in circumstances, citing prolonged incarceration and the Supreme Court’s Syed Iftikhar Andrabi judgment. Senior Advocate Trideep Pais told the court charges were yet to be framed. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju opposed bail, arguing the two were in a different category set by the Supreme Court. The trial court had rejected bail on July 4. Khalid was arrested in September 2020 and Imam in August 2020. The Supreme Court’s larger bench is yet to rule on prolonged UAPA incarceration.

Update, 30 September: Times of India adds that police argued Khalid and Imam were part of the ‘command authority’ and that the top court found their ‘risk profiles’ justified detention. Siasat notes that 36 of the 53 dead were Muslims and calls the UAPA ‘draconian’, adding a critical framing that other outlets omit. All sources confirm the third rejection and the binding effect of the Supreme Court’s January 5 order.