New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case linked to the 2020 communal violence in Northeast Delhi, holding that the material on record points to their role in an alleged criminal conspiracy.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria said it was satisfied with the prosecution’s submissions that a prima facie case exists against the two under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which bars bail at the threshold if such satisfaction is recorded.
At the same time, the court granted bail to five other accused—Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad—observing that all accused cannot be placed on the same footing.
“Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a qualitatively different footing as compared to other accused,” the bench noted, adding that the “hierarchy of participation requires the court to assess each application individually.”
Khalid and Imam had moved the apex court after the Delhi High Court declined them bail. Their special leave petitions were heard together, with the Supreme Court reserving its verdict on December 10, 2025.
The case stems from the violence that erupted in the national capital in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which claimed 53 lives and left more than 700 people injured.
