Delhi court rejects bail pleas of Umar and Sharjeel '2020 riots case'

A court here on Saturday dismissed the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger-conspiracy case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai denied the relief to both the accused after hearing arguments on bail from both the sides.

Khalid and Imam moved the bail pleas contending that their continued incarceration



without the commencement of the trial violates their fundamental right to liberty.

Khalid’s plea also argued that even as his earlier application was rejected by the Supreme Court, subsequent judicial developments constituted a “change in circumstances”. He referred to the court’s remarks in May in another case, asserting that “bail is the rule” even under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).