On Friday, the Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of bail pleas filed by former JNU students Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, along with seven others, in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, to September 19. The bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria said it received crucial case files late, necessitating the adjournment.
The accused, including Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima, have challenged the Delhi High Court’s rejection of their bail applications under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The prosecution alleges that the accused conspired to incite violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), which escalated into riots causing 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries. FIRs were registered under multiple IPC provisions and UAPA, with Imam facing cases across Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh.
Sharjeel Imam was previously granted bail in related sedition cases by the Delhi High Court and other high courts, but remains under scrutiny for his alleged role in the larger conspiracy. Umar Khalid has been in custody since September 2020, maintaining his innocence and challenging the allegations of conspiratorial involvement.
Other accused include Khalid Saifi, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Safoora Zargar, and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, all of whom have been charge-sheeted in connection with the riots. The Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing is expected to examine the bail pleas in detail, balancing the gravity of allegations with the legal safeguards under UAPA.
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