‘Bail To Them Is Death For Us’: Father Of Delhi Riots Victim Reacts to Supreme Court Verdict

New Delhi: Reacting sharply to the Supreme Court’s latest order in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, Hari Solanki, father of Rahul Solanki, the 26-year-old LLB student who was killed during the violence, said the family was only “partially satisfied” with the verdict and warned that granting bail to the accused amounted to “killing the victims’ families again”.

Speaking to Republic, Hari Solanki thanked the apex court for refusing bail to the main accused, Umar Kahlid and Sharjeel Imam, but expressed deep anguish over the decision to grant bail to five others.

“We want to thank the Supreme Court for not granting bail to the main accused. But we are extremely disappointed that five others have been let off. Bail to them means death to us. This should not have happened,” Solanki said.

He said complete justice would be delivered only if all the accused are awarded capital punishment, claiming that anything short of the death penalty would embolden them to continue organising violence.

“If they are not hanged, they will continue to organise crimes against Hindus. They will organise riots again. If riots happen anywhere in the country, they are the main conspirators,” he said.

Calling for the matter to be transferred to a fast-track court, Solanki said prolonged trials only deepen the suffering of victims’ families.

“We want this case to be heard in a fast-track court. Justice delayed is justice denied,” he added.

Invoking his family’s legacy, Solanki said generations of his family had made sacrifices for the nation.

“I come from a family that writes ‘Hindu Hriday Samrat’ after its name. Our ancestors have been sacrificing for the past 1,300 years for this country. We will continue to contribute to the nation,” he said.

Acknowledging the role of the judiciary and the government, Solanki said their actions were “partially correct”. “The government and the courts are doing some things right, but steps are needed to deliver complete justice by hanging the accused till death,” he said.

The SC Verdict

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots case.

The bench clarified that they can approach the court again for bail either after one year or upon the completion of examination of protected witnesses, whichever occurs earlier. Any future application will be considered independently, unaffected by the current order.

The Supreme Court, however, has granted bail to the remaining five accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad, in the case. The bench observed that continued pre-trial incarceration was not shown to be necessary for them. Their release comes with standard conditions, while Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam remain in custody.

The court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" both in terms of prosecution and evidence.

It noted that their roles were "central" to the alleged offences.

The violence had left over 50 people dead, hundreds injured and large parts of northeast Delhi scarred, with multiple families still awaiting closure nearly six years later.

‘Justice Is Still Incomplete’

For Rahul Solanki’s family, the legal battle is far from over. “Justice is still incomplete. Until all the accused are punished, we will continue to fight,” Hari Solanki added.

ALSO READ: 2020 Delhi Riots Case: SC Denies Bail To Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Says Evidence Shows Criminal Conspiracy, Calls Their Role Severe