The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing on January 7, 2025, for the bail applications of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others implicated in the February 2020 Delhi riots under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The bench, consisting of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur, postponed the session after learning that the additional solicitor general S V Raju, representing the Delhi police, was unavailable.
The decision to defer was met with concerns from the bench, reflecting the gravity and urgency typically associated with bail matters. “How do we adjourn bail matters like this? Last time also these were heard by a bench and released,” remarked the justices. They assured that the matter would be prioritized immediately upon the court’s reopening following the winter break.
The accused have been in detention for nearly five years, an issue highlighted by senior counsel for one of the accused, Khalid Saifi. He argued that the continuous adjournments should not come at the cost of the accused’s liberty. Khalid, Imam, and others face charges of orchestrating the riots, which occurred amidst protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). These events resulted in 53 deaths and injuries to over 700 individuals.
The applicants are seeking bail on the grounds of their extended period of incarceration and on parity with other co-accused who have been granted bail. Despite numerous bail pleas filed since 2022 and sporadic hearings by different benches, many of the accused remain in custody. Umar Khalid had previously approached the high court for bail in 2024, following the rejection of a similar plea in October 2022.
