In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court has made a decision to deny bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the alleged conspiracy of the 2020 Delhi riots. Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria presided over the case and granted bail to other activists involved in the matter, namely Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad.
The bench stated that there was a strong case against Umar and Sharjeel under the Unlawful Activities Act, which is an anti-terror law. They also mentioned that the prosecution material clearly showed a prima facie allegation against the two activists and that this stage of the proceedings did not warrant their release on bail. The apex court had reserved its verdict on December 10 after hearing arguments from both sides.
The accused, along with others, were booked under the Unlawful Activities Act and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the masterminds behind the 2020 riots in northeast Delhi, which resulted in the loss of 53 lives and left over 700 injured. The riots took place during protests against the Citizenship Act and the National Register of Citizens.
The accused had approached the Supreme Court after their bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court in September 2020. The High Court had denied bail on the grounds of a larger conspiracy being involved in the riots. The case has been closely followed by the media, with Orissa POST being the leading English daily in the state of Odisha.
