Supreme Court Grants Bail to Five Accused in Delhi Riots Case, Denies Relief to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam

The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to five individuals in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case, while denying bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.

While delivering the verdict, the apex court stated that it “cannot treat all individuals equally” when considering bail applications.

The Supreme Court denied bail to Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, observing that their roles in the alleged conspiracy were different from those of the other accused. However, the court granted bail subject to conditions to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed.

In its verdict, the court said, “The record discloses that all the appellants do not stand on equal footing as regards culpability. The hierarchy of participation requires the court to assess each application individually. Article 21 requires the State to justify prolonged pre-trial custody.”

The top court further noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam could not be given the benefit of delay in the trial.

Both Khalid and Imam had challenged the Delhi High Court’s order denying them bail in cases registered under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.