New Delhi, 5/1 : The Supreme Court of India on Monday upheld the denial of bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 North East Delhi riots. The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, distinguished their roles from five other co-accused—Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad—who were granted bail. Following the verdict, Umar Khalid reportedly conveyed through his partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, “Jail is my life now; happy for others who got bail.”
The apex court cited the presence of a prima facie case against Khalid and Imam under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), stating that the material on record suggested their “central and formative role” in the alleged conspiracy. The bench emphasized that their alleged involvement was “architectural,” placing them at the top of the chain of command in planning and strategic direction, rather than merely episodic or localized acts. This qualitative difference in their alleged culpability was a key factor in denying them bail, while granting relief to others whose roles were deemed more limited and site-specific.
Khalid and Imam have been incarcerated since 2020 in connection with the communal violence that erupted in Delhi. The February 2020 riots, sparked during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), tragically resulted in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Delhi Police had vehemently opposed their bail pleas, asserting that the riots were not spontaneous but rather an “orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed” attack on India’s sovereignty. This Supreme Court decision follows the Delhi High Court’s earlier denial of bail to the activists on September 2, 2025.
The court, however, provided a limited window for future recourse, stating that Khalid and Imam could apply for bail afresh after the examination of all prosecution witnesses or after one year from the current date. The verdict has drawn mixed reactions, with Sharjeel Imam’s uncle, Arshad Imam, expressing shock while respecting the court’s decision. Opposition leaders and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have criticized the continued incarceration under UAPA, calling it a “draconian” law and questioning the denial of bail, drawing comparisons to other cases. Additionally, a group of US lawmakers had previously written to the Indian government, advocating for a fair and timely trial for Umar Khalid.
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