Now Reading: Delhi HC to hear Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam bail pleas on Sep 30
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Delhi HC to hear Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam bail pleas on Sep 30
The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on September 30 the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the UAPA case related to the 'larger conspiracy' behind…
The Delhi High Court on Monday listed for hearing on September 30 the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the UAPA case related to the 'larger conspiracy' behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. A bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Dinesh Bhatt deferred the hearing after the Delhi Police counsel sought an adjournment, citing the unavailability of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju for health reasons.
Khalid and Imam have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on allegations of being among the masterminds of the riots that left 53 dead and over 700 injured. The Delhi Police opposes bail, arguing the Supreme Court has categorised them as having 'command authority' and that their 'risk profiles' justify continued detention. The court also deferred the bail plea of former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, listing it for November.
Khalid and Imam were arrested in 2020 and their bail applications were dismissed by the trial court for the third time on July 4. On September 2, 2025, a high court division bench denied them bail. The Supreme Court in January upheld the verdict but granted relief to five other co-accused, and in May granted interim bail to two others while referring the issue of prolonged UAPA incarceration to a larger bench.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both TOI and Hindustan Times report the adjournment as a routine procedural update, reproducing police arguments without critical scrutiny. Neither outlet examines the prosecution's request for delay or the health reason given. The coverage leans neutral-report, mirroring the official case timeline. The substantial point is that after four years in custody, neither activist has had a merits hearing on bail, while co-accused with similar charges have secured relief. The September 30 hearing will test whether the court addresses that disparity.
The third source reports that on the same day, Sharjeel Imam received seven-day interim bail for family weddings, a development the other two outlets omit entirely.
Coverage: 3 sources, 3 neutral
Sources (3): timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), hindustantimes.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2) (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
