On Friday, the Supreme Court adjourned to September 22 the hearing on bail pleas filed by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in the UAPA case linked to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 Delhi riots.
A Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Manmohan deferred the matter while noting that the pleas challenge the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order refusing bail to nine accused, including Khalid and Imam. The High Court had observed that “conspiratorial” violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests could not be permitted.
The case stems from the February 2020 riots during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which claimed 53 lives and left more than 700 injured. The accused, arrested in 2020, face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code.
While denying them bail earlier, the High Court held that though the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to protest under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, the right is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions. It stressed that if exercised without limits, such rights could threaten law and order.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider, who continue to deny the allegations, contend that their role was limited to peaceful protests and speeches, and that the prosecution’s case rests on conjecture. Their bail pleas will now be taken up by the Apex court on September 22.
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