Delhi riots case: Supreme Court adjourns bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others to September 22

The Supreme Court on Friday (September 19, 2025) adjourned to September 22 the hearing on the bail pleas of activist Sharjeel Imam, former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Umar Khalid, and others in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Manmohan said the matter would be taken up on Monday (September 22, 2025), without assigning any reasons. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared on behalf of Mr. Imam.

Also read: Umar Khalid | Activist behind bars

The petitions challenge a September 2 judgment of the Delhi High Court, which refused bail, holding that the accused played “prima facie grave” roles in a “premeditated, well-orchestrated conspiracy.” A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur had endorsed the prosecution’s claim that the violence was not “a regular protest” but a “conspiracy” masked as opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Apart from Mr. Imam and Mr. Khalid, the High Court had denied bail to activists Gulfisha Fatima, Khalid Saifi, Athar Khan, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Meeran Haider, and Shadab Ahmed. The bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was dismissed by a separate Bench on the same day.

Ms. Fatima, Mr. Haider, and Mr. Rehman have also appealed before the apex court.

The accused face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code. The Delhi Police, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, have alleged that the activists were the “masterminds” of the violence, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The clashes erupted in February 2020 during protests against the CAA-NRC.

In its 133-page verdict, the High Court had said, “If the exercise of an unfettered right to protest were permitted, it would damage the constitutional framework and impinge upon law and order. Conspiratorial violence under the garb of protests cannot be permitted.” It also said the riots were “deliberately timed” to coincide with the visit of then U.S. President Donald Trump, and therefore could not be “lightly brushed aside.”

Mr. Imam, who was the first to approach the Supreme Court, has sought bail on the ground that he has spent more than five and a half years in pre-trial detention since his arrest on January 28, 2020. Mr. Khalid, arrested on September 13, 2020, has similarly urged the court that his prolonged incarceration be taken into account.

The accused have argued that their continued incarceration stems from systemic delays with no certainty on when the trial will conclude. They contend that extended detention violates their right to liberty and a speedy trial.

Their lawyers have also sought bail on grounds of parity with co-accused already released. Student activists Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Iqbal Tanha were granted bail in June 2021, while former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan was released in March 2022.