A Delhi court dismissed the fresh regular bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts in Delhi on July 4, 2026.
The judge rejected the applications after hearing detailed arguments from both the prosecution and the defence. During the hearing, counsel for Khalid and Imam argued that both men had remained behind bars for nearly six years while the trial had made little progress.
ALSO READ | Umar Khalid Gets Three-Day Interim Bail From June 1 To 3 For Mother’s Surgery
The defence submitted that the arguments on framing of charges were still underway and cited a subsequent Supreme Court judgement in another case dealing with prolonged incarceration under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), contending that it justifies a fresh examination of their bail pleas.
The defence highlighted the judgement pronounced on May 18 by a Supreme Court bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan in which they granted bail to Jammu and Kashmir resident Syed Iftikhar Andrabi in a narco-terror case being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The Delhi Police opposed the applications, maintaining that there had been no significant change in circumstances since the Supreme Court rejected their bail. According to the Delhi Police, Khalid and Imam allegedly occupied a senior and significant role in the conspiracy. Their alleged role was distinct from that of the co-accused who had been granted bail.
In its order, the court observed that the later Supreme Court ruling relied on by the defence did not override the binding directions issued in Khalid and Imam’s case. It also noted that legal questions arising from the subsequent judgement were already under consideration by a larger bench of the apex court.
The case pertains to the larger conspiracy behind the communal violence that erupted in Delhi in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendments) Act (CAA). The riots claimed more than 50 lives and left hundreds injured, prompting multiple investigations by the Delhi Police.
ALSO READ | ‘Bail Is Rule, Jail Is Exception’: Supreme Court Disagrees With Judgment Denying Bail To Umar Khalid
Khalid and Imam have been charged under UAPA, the Indian Penal Code and other provisions. Both of them have consistently denied the allegations and have maintained that they are innocent.
With the latest order, the two activists will continue to remain in judicial custody. They however retain the option of challenging the trial court’s decision before a higher court, while legal proceedings regarding the larger conspiracy continue.
Essential Business Intelligence,
Sharp Market Insights,
Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
