A Delhi court denies bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The court rejects their bail pleas, holding that it is bound by an earlier order of the Supreme Court. Both Khalid and Imam had argued that their continued detention for an extended period without trial violates their constitutional rights. They sought release on the ground that the investigation and case progress have not yet resulted in a trial.
According to the court’s reasoning reported by the outlets, the judge does not find sufficient grounds to grant bail at this stage, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s directions. The Supreme Court had indicated that the applicants could move for fresh consideration after a specified period (including after a year) or after examination of witnesses, while directing the trial or proceedings to follow their course. The court therefore denies the present pleas, without granting interim relief.
