Supreme Court Defers Bail Hearings of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Others to Monday

The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the bail hearings of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several other activists linked to the Delhi riots case, postponing the matter until Monday.

The bench, comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Manmohan, noted that they required more time to review the case documents before delivering a decision.

The petitions challenge a Delhi court’s September 2 verdict, which denied bail to nine activists. While hearing the case, the bench observed that although the Constitution upholds free speech, “conspiratorial violence cannot be disguised as protest.”

Among those denied bail are Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi, and Shadab Ahmed. Another bench also rejected bail to Tasleem Ahmed on the same day.

All the activists are charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, based on cases filed by the Delhi Police.

The accused have been in jail for over five years, sparking nationwide criticism. Rights groups and opposition parties allege that the government is deliberately delaying trials and targeting Muslim activists who opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Source: Muslim Mirror