Delhi Riots UAPA Case: High Court To Hear Bail Pleas Of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam On January 07

The Delhi High Court will hear on January 07, 2025, the bail pleas filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and other accused persons in connection with the UAPA case alleging a larger conspiracy related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.

A division bench comprising of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur adjourned the matter after SPP Amit Prasad appearing for Delhi Police, on instructions, said that ASG SV Raju will be making submissions in the matter but was not available today.

“How do we adjourn bail matters like this?….Last time also these were heard by a bench and released,” Justice Chawla orally remarked.

Umar Khalid has been granted interim bail by the trial court for attending a wedding in the family. He has to surrender on January 03, 2025.

Recently, Umar Khalid's counsel, seeking bail, submitted before the division bench said as to how he was made an accused by the Delhi Police in the UAPA case.

He said that while there were many other persons who allegedly attended the conspiracy meeting, only him and Sharjeel Imam were made an accused in the case.

"There is no recovery from me or at my instance. There is no physical evidence to show my complicity. There is no allegation of procurement, raising of funds. There is no allegation of terrorist act," the counsel had said.

The bench is hearing the bail pleas filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima. 

Delhi Police's appeal against bail granted to accused Ishrat Jahan is also listed in the batch.

Umar Khalid was denied bail in October 2022 by the Delhi High Court. He then approached the Supreme Court but later withdrew his SLP. A second regular bail plea was filed by him in the trial court which was rejected earlier this year. 

Khalid's appeal challenging the rejection of his second regular bail plea is pending before the Delhi High Court.

FIR 59 of 2020 was registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.

Title: Umar Khalid v. State and other connected matters