NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to Delhi Police and sought its response, on bail plea of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shifa Ur Rehman and others in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, after issuing the notice to Delhi police, posted the matter for further hearing to October 7.
The accused were arrested under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act in the conspiracy of riots which which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured in the national capital.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for many accused persons, including Imam, said they are students and had been in jail for over five years. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal urged for early hearing so that the accused can come out before Diwali.
"Yes we will hear you. Issue notice in all,” the bench said and decided to hear the case on October 7.
Singhvi also asked for notice interim bail. The court, however, said it would decide the main matter.
Khalid and others have been in jail since 2020 in connection with the case.
The High Court on September 2, 2025 dismissed the bail petitions.
A division bench had noted the nature of the allegations, and specifically the submission by the State that the present is not a case of regular protest or riot matter, but rather a premeditated, well-orchestrated conspiracy to commit unlawful activities threatening the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of India.
The court had then also dismissed similar bail plea by other accused Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed.
Imam was arrested on January 28, 2020 by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch from Bihar’s Jehanabad in a sedition case for allegedly making inflammatory speeches in the Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University.
The riots took place in February 2020, following clashes over the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). As per the Delhi Police, the riots caused the death of 53 persons and injured hundreds.
The prosecution alleged that the accused, Imam, had hatched a larger criminal conspiracy to cause multiple riots. The FIR in this case was registered by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the UAPA.
Imam was booked in multiple FIRs across several states, mostly under sedition and UAPA charges. Besides Delhi, Imam is facing FIRs in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
Khalid has been in jail since his arrest by the Delhi Police on September 14, 2020.
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