The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case concerning the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria heard extensive arguments from both sides, including Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju and senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra.
Opposing the bail applications, the Delhi Police told the court that the riots were not a spontaneous reaction but an “orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed” attack on India’s sovereignty. The accused, the police alleged, were the “masterminds” of the violence that unfolded in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
The riots, which took place during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), resulted in 53 deaths and left more than 700 people injured.
Khalid, Imam and others have approached the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order that denied them bail in the UAPA “larger conspiracy” case. The FIR invokes the UAPA anti-terror law along with provisions of the erstwhile IPC.
The bench has now reserved its ruling after hearing submissions from all sides. The verdict will determine whether the accused, incarcerated for years as undertrials, will be granted bail while the trial continues.
