The Supreme Court refused to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The Court described his role as “central” and “qualitatively distinct”. However, 5 other accused have been granted bail.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case related to a larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots. However, the Supreme Court granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Salim Khan and Shadab Ahmed. The court said that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are at “qualitatively different standards” both in terms of prosecution and evidence.
The court said his role in the alleged crimes was “central”. In both of these cases, even though the period of stay in jail is long, it does not violate the constitutional order or the statutory bar under the laws. The Supreme Court bench of Justice Arvind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria gave this verdict on the bail petitions of Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Salim Khan and Shadab Ahmed. Earlier, the Supreme Court had reserved its decision on December 10 after hearing detailed arguments from all the parties.
During the hearing of his petitions seeking bail, his lawyers mostly argued over the delay in the trial and the low chances of it starting. The court was also told that they have been in custody for more than five years while they are accused of committing serious offenses under the UAPA. It was also argued that there was no evidence that he had instigated the riots, even though five years had passed.
On the other hand, Delhi Police opposed the bail pleas saying that the alleged crimes involved a deliberate attempt to destabilize the state. The police argued that these were not spontaneous protests, but a well-planned “pan-India” conspiracy aimed at “regime change” and “economic strangulation”. Delhi Police further said that the conspiracy was allegedly hatched to coincide with the official visit of the then US President to India, with the intention of drawing international media attention and globalizing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue.
The police had said that the CAA issue was carefully chosen to act as a “radicalisation catalyst” by disguising it as a “peaceful protest”. The prosecution further said that a “deep, premeditated and premeditated conspiracy” hatched by the petitioners led to the death of 53 people, massive damage to public property, leading to 753 FIRs being registered in Delhi alone. Delhi Police said that the evidence on record shows that an attempt was made to replicate and implement this conspiracy across India.
On September 2, 2025, the Delhi High Court had rejected the bail plea of nine accused, including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in connection with the case, following which the accused had moved the Supreme Court. The High Court had said that, prima facie, the role of Imam and Khalid in the entire conspiracy was “serious”, having given inflammatory speeches on communal lines “to mobilize the members of the Muslim community on a large scale”. Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested in January 2020 under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots. The violence broke out during protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.