Supreme Court Adjourns Bail Hearing of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Others in 2020 Delhi Riots Case to December 2

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and five others accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged conspiracy that led to the 2020 Delhi riots. The matter has now been scheduled for hearing on December 2.

The court briefly heard procedural submissions before deciding to defer the matter, citing the need to review the extensive case documents, including the multi-volume chargesheet and large amounts of electronic evidence filed by the Delhi Police.

The accused have been behind bars for over four years, with Khalid and Imam among the most prominent names in the case. They stand accused of orchestrating protests and mobilising masses against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which authorities argue spiralled into communal violence in North-East Delhi in February 2020. The riots resulted in 53 deaths and widespread property damage.

The defence has maintained that the case relies largely on speeches, social media conversations and participation in protests — none of which, they argue, constitute terrorism or criminal conspiracy. They further contend that the prolonged pre-trial detention amounts to punishment without conviction, especially as the trial progress remains slow.

The Delhi Police, however, have argued that the violence was not spontaneous but pre-planned. They claim that speeches by student leaders and activists, logistical arrangements at protest sites, digital communication trails and coordinated demonstrations point to a larger attempt to de-stabilise law and order.

With UAPA invoked in the case, the legal threshold for bail remains high, as courts must be satisfied that the allegations are prima facie untrue — a provision that has frequently drawn criticism from civil liberties and legal rights groups.

As the case returns to the Supreme Court on December 2, all eyes will remain on whether the bench will grant bail or continue the detention of the accused, a decision that could carry long-term implications for protest-related cases charged under anti-terror laws in India.

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