Student activist Sharjeel Imam. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
The Delhi High Court on Friday (July 17, 2026) asked the Delhi police to respond to plea filed by student activist Sharjeel Imam, accused in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 North East Delhi riots, seeking bail.
A Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice on Mr. Imam’s appeal challenging the trial court’s July 4 decision rejecting his second regular bail application. The court posted the case for hearing on August 27.
Mr. Imam was arrested on August 25, 2020, and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being one of the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
On July 4, the trial court dismissed the bail applications of Umar Khalid and Mr. Imam holding that it was bound by the Supreme Court’s January order which had put a couple of conditions on the same.
The Supreme Court, on January 05, 2026 had rejected the bail pleas of the two and had expressly directed that the applicants could renew their bail requests only after the protected witnesses in the case were examined or upon the expiry of one year from January 5, 2026, whichever was earlier.
In a common order for both Mr. Imam and Mr. Khalid, who are languishing in jail for over five years under charges of UAPA, the trial court held it had “no option” but to follow the Supreme Court’s directions.
Opposing the applications, the prosecution submitted that the Supreme Court had already rejected the bail pleas of both applicants in January 5, 2026, and that Mr. Khalid’s review petition had subsequently been dismissed on April 16, 2026. It argued that there had been no substantial change in circumstances justifying reconsideration of bail.
Published – July 17, 2026 12:18 pm IST
