New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued notice to Delhi Police on bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria scheduled the matter for hearing on October 7.
The activists are challenging the Delhi High court’s September 2 ruling which denied them bail, asserting that “conspiratorial” violence disguised as public demonstrations cannot be permitted. Those denied bail alongside Khalid and Imam included Fatima, Haider, Mohd Saleem khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Shadab Ahmed. A separate High Court bench had previously denied bail to Tasleem Ahmed on September 2.
The High Court’s rejection order stated that allowing an “unfettered right to protest” would “damage the constitutional framework and impinge upon the law and order situation in the country.” Though, the court acknowledged the constitutional right to peaceful protest under Article 19(1)(a), clarifying that this right is “not absolute” and “subject to reasonable restrictions.”
The accused, who have denied all charges, have been imprisoned since 2020 after a trial court initially rejected their bail requests.They are charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and sections of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. The riots erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
