SC Defers Hearing on Bail Pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Others in 2020 Delhi Riots Conspiracy Case
On September 2, Delhi High Court had refused bail to nine people, including Khalid and Imam, noting that “conspiratorial” violence in the name of demonstrations or protests by citizens can not be invoked.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) October 27: The Supreme Court on Monday (October 27, 2025) deferred to October 31 hearing on the bail pleas of activist Sharjeel Imam, ex-JNU student Umar Khalid and three others in a case filed against them as part of a larger conspiracy in relation to the violence during protests against CAA in Delhi earlier this year.
Hearing Deferred to October 31
A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria adjourned the matter after Additional Solicitor-General S.V. Raju, representing the Delhi Police, sought more time to file a counter-affidavit. The bench listed the hearing on Friday and asked Delhi Police to file the counter affidavit by then.
During Monday’s hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who appeared for the Delhi Police, sought time to file a counter affidavit in the case, Live Law reported. But the bench said enough time had been granted.
Defence Cites Delay in Trial
While seeking bail, Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Imam and some other petitioners, questioned delay in the trial and said there should not be any further delay in the hearing. Many of those arrested with him -- including Imam -- told the judges they were students and had been kept in jail for more than 5 years.
In rejecting bail on Sept. 2 to nine of the accused, including Mr. Khalid and Mr. Imam, New Delhi’s high court ruled that “conspiratorial violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens cannot be permitted.”
High Court Earlier Denied Bail
Khalid and Imam, who along with Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shifa Ur Rehman had approached the apex court challenging a Delhi High Court ruling of September 2 on their bail pleas.
Khalid, Fatima, Imam, Mohd Saleem Khan, Rehman, Athar Khan and Abdul Khalid Saifi were denied bail by a division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur of the High Court.
A different bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar had on Tuesday rejected the plea of Tasleem Ahmed.
Case Linked to 2020 Riots
Mr. Khalid, Mr. Imam and the other accused were charged under UAPA and sections of the now-repealed IPC for allegedly being “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots that resulted in 53 deaths and injuring over 700.
The riots occurred in February 2020, amidst demonstrations over the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to Delhi Police, 53 were killed and hundreds injured in the violence.
The accused, Imam, had conspired to create the communal riot and also hatched a larger conspiracy to trigger riots at several places," the prosecution contended. The Delhi Police's Special Cell had registered an FIR in the case invoking several sections of IPC and the UAPA.
Imam was named in several FIRs lodged by the police forces of states he had delivered speeches in, predominantly charged under sedition and sections of UAPA. Apart from Delhi, Imam also has FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
