New Delhi: โThe Supreme Court has issued notice to Delhi Police on bail pleas filed โby activists Umar Khalid,โข Sharjeel Imam,โ and several othersโข accused in the 2020 Delhi โขriots conspiracy case. A bench of Justices โขAravind Kumar and N V Anjaria scheduled the matter forโค hearing on Octoberโค 7.
The activists areโค challenging the Delhi High court’s September 2 ruling whichโข denied them bail, asserting that “conspiratorial” violence disguised as public demonstrations cannot be permitted. Those denied bail alongside Khalid and Imam included Fatima, โขHaider, Mohdโข Saleem khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul โKhalid 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 โthe law and order situation in the country.”โค Though, the court โขacknowledged the constitutional right to peaceful protest under โArticle 19(1)(a), clarifying that this right is “not absolute” and “subject to โคreasonable restrictions.”
The accused, who have denied allโค charges, have been imprisoned since 2020 after a trialโ court initially rejected their bail requests.They are charged underโ the Unlawful โActivitiesโฃ Prevention Act โ(UAPA) and sections of the Indian Penal Code for โallegedly being “masterminds” of โฃthe February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths โคand over 700 โinjuries. The riots โerupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).