2020 riots: Supreme Court notices Delhi Police on bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, others

Besides Khalid and Imam, those who faced bail rejection are Fatima, Haider, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Delhi police on pleas for bail filed by former JNU students Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others, arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for a larger conspiracy in 2020 Delhi riots.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria agreed to examine the matter on October 7 after brief submissions by senior advocates Kapil Sibal, A M Singhvi and others.

Singhvi asked the court to issue notice on the plea for interim bail. He claimed the petitioners were students who have been behind the bars for five years.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also for the petitioners, sought a short date in the matter, so that the petitioners, who have been in jail for five years, can be out before Diwali.

The court said it would consider the main petition itself and scheduled the matter for consideration on October 7.

The bench said the matter was previously adjourned as Justice Manmohan, part of the bench, wanted to recuse for having been associated with chambers of Sibal.

Khalid and others have been in jail since 2020 in connection with the riots which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The High Court on September 2, 2025 dismissed the bail petitions.

A division bench had noted the nature of the allegations, and specifically the submission by the State that the present is not a case of regular protest or riot matter, but rather a premeditated, well-orchestrated conspiracy to commit unlawful activities threatening the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of India.

The court had then also dismissed similar bail plea by other accused Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed.