The Supreme Court has refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy matter, saying there was a prima facie case against the accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
However, a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria granted bail to five other accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad in the case.
In the last month, the top court reserved its verdict on separate pleas of the accused after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju and many senior advocates.
The court said the statutory threshold for denying bail under UAPA applied to Khalid and Imam. The case relates to allegations that the accused were masterminds of the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi, in which 53 people were killed during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens.
