The Supreme Court will today pronounce its verdict on bail pleas by Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, along with five others, in the UAPA case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. These activists have been in jail for over five years, citing trial delays as grounds for release. Delhi Police opposes bail, pointing to the severity of the charges.
On January 5, 2026, in New Delhi, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on bail applications from Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and five other accused in the 'larger conspiracy' case tied to the 2020 Delhi riots, to be delivered today. The bench of Justice Ravindra Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria heard arguments from both sides on December 10.
Sharjeel Imam was arrested on January 28, 2020, and Umar Khalid on September 13, 2020. They are challenging a September 2023 Delhi High Court order that denied bail. The accused face charges under UAPA and IPC sections for allegedly masterminding the February 2020 riots, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The violence claimed 53 lives and injured over 700 people.
Delhi Police has opposed bail, describing the riots as a planned 'regime-change operation' aimed at destabilizing India. They cited witness statements, call records, and chat messages as evidence. Police argued that in serious UAPA cases, 'jail is the rule, not bail.' They claimed the accused are deliberately delaying the trial by non-cooperation, despite around 900 witnesses, only 100-150 of whom are relevant.
The defense emphasized prolonged detention and trial delays. The case is still at the framing of charges stage, with the prosecution's chargesheet spanning thousands of pages. The Delhi High Court acknowledged that 'bail is the rule, jail the exception,' but denied relief due to the case's specific facts. Recently, Umar Khalid received two weeks' interim bail to attend his sister's wedding, which has now expired.
