The Supreme Court is set to hear the bail petitions of Gulfisha Fatima, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Umar Khalid, Shifa-ur-Rehman, and Mohammad Saleem Khan in connection with the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case on Monday, October 27.
A bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria will take up the matter, which has drawn wide attention because of the serious charges and the prominence of those accused. The case pertains to the 2020 Delhi riots, in which several activists were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Earlier, the same bench had issued a notice to the Delhi Police after the accused approached the top court challenging the Delhi High Court’s order that denied them bail. On September 2, the High Court had rejected the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and seven others, while a separate bench dismissed the bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed.
The Delhi Police had opposed the bail applications, claiming that the riots were not spontaneous but “planned well in advance” with a “sinister motive and well-thought-out conspiracy.” The High Court, while denying bail, observed that Imam and Khalid’s alleged roles were “grave” and that they had delivered speeches that “instigated mass mobilisation of members of the Muslim community.”
All the accused have sought bail from the Supreme Court in the larger conspiracy case, which falls under the stringent provisions of the UAPA. Sharjeel Imam was arrested in 2020 and named by the Delhi Police as one of the main conspirators behind the violence.
