Agencies / New Delhi:
The Supreme Court Tuesday Oct 27 pulled up the Delhi Police for not filing a response to bail petitions by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
The court also asked the Delhi Police to reply whether bail can be granted on grounds of delay in trial in cases where the accused have spent more than five years in jail.
At the outset, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, requested two weeks to file a response. The court rejected this request and said it would hear the matter on Friday.
“Frankly speaking, in bail matters, there is no question of filing counter,” the bench of Justice Aravind and Justice NV Anjaria told the Delhi Police. The bench reminded the Delhi Police that it had clearly stated in the previous hearing that it would dispose of the case today.
“We have given you enough time. You may be appearing for the first time. Last time we said issue notice and we said in that open court that we will hear this matter on October 27th and will dispose it of, ” Justice Aravind Kumar said. “What is the question of a counter-affidavit in a bail matter?”
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Umar Khalid, said the petitioners have been behind bars for over five years now.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi said the whole case is about a delay in the trial, and there should be no further delay in the hearing.
Background of the Case
The case pertains to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 Delhi riots, which erupted during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and led to the deaths of 53 people mostly Muslims and injuries to hundreds.
The accused have been charged under multiple provisions of the IPC and UAPA for allegedly instigating violence through coordinated protests. In the apex court, they have challenged the Delhi High Court’s September 2, 2025 order denying them bail. The Supreme Court had issued notice to the Delhi Police on September 22, but the agency has since sought repeated extensions to file its counter-affidavit.
The matter will now be heard on Friday, October 31, 2025, when the Court is expected to take up the long-pending bail pleas of the student activists , five years after their arrest and amid mounting judicial concern over the pace of proceedings.