SC Adjourns Bail Hearing of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in 2020 Delhi Riots Case
New Delhi, India– The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case. The activists are accused of conspiring in the riots and have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria postponed the hearing to September 19, allowing more time for arguments.
During the proceedings, the lawyers representing the activists argued that the trial has been repeatedly delayed and called for their clients’ release on bail. They highlighted precedents where other activists involved in similar cases, such as Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Asif Iqbal, and Ishrat Jahan, were granted bail.
Earlier this month, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to the four activists. A division bench comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur observed that the riots were not “a regular protest” but rather “a well-planned conspiracy” and noted that the activists delivered “inflammatory speeches.”
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and C.U. Singh appeared for Umar Khalid, while Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented Gulfisha Fatima, and Siddharth Dave argued on behalf of Sharjeel Imam before the Supreme Court.
The activists, who had earlier led anti-CAA protests, challenged the High Court’s verdict at the apex court, seeking relief from what they describe as five years of wrongful confinement.
Meanwhile, social media platforms witnessed a surge of support for the activists. Politicians, human rights activists, legal analysts, and netizens voiced strong opposition to their continued detention, arguing that their imprisonment is politically motivated, aimed at silencing dissent.
