Last Updated on September 3, 2025 12:13 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN / WEB DESK
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused bail to former JNU students and activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, along with seven others, in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case. The bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur also dismissed the pleas of Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima.
The court underlined that bail cannot be granted merely because of long incarceration or delays in trial, stressing that such considerations “are not universally applicable.” It noted that while the right to protest is a constitutional guarantee, it is not absolute. “Violent demonstrations or conspiracies under the garb of protests cannot be permitted,” the bench said, observing that such acts fall outside the scope of free speech.
The judges also pointed to “specific allegations supported by prima facie evidence” against all accused, clarifying that a deeper evaluation of evidence is not possible at the bail stage.
Counsel for the activists announced that the decision would be challenged in the Supreme Court.
Khalid and Imam, arrested in connection with the anti-CAA protests that preceded the February 2020 riots, have been in custody since 2020. The violence left more than 50 people dead and over 700 injured. Delhi Police have accused them of being the “masterminds” of a larger conspiracy and charged them under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
The prosecution, led by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, opposed bail, arguing that the riots were “pre-planned” to malign India globally. “If you act against the nation, you remain in jail till acquitted,” he asserted.
Khalid was granted only a brief 7-day interim bail last year to attend a family wedding.