Today, On 5th December, The Supreme Court granted bail to five accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case but imposed 11 strict conditions, including staying within Delhi, no social media posts, no rallies, and mandatory police attendance. The apex court has also denied bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court imposed 11 conditions on activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad while granting them bail in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
The conditions are as follows:
- Each appellant must execute a personal bond for Rs 2 lakh, along with two local sureties of the same amount, to the satisfaction of the trial court.
- The appellants are required to stay within the National Capital Territory of Delhi and cannot leave its borders without prior approval from the trial court. Any travel requests must include detailed reasons and will be evaluated on their merits by the trial court.
- The appellants must surrender their passports to the trial court. If any appellant does not possess a passport, they must submit an affidavit stating so. The Supreme Court ordered the authorities to inform all immigration agencies not to allow their departure from the country without permission from the trial court.
- The appellants must provide their current residential addresses, contact numbers, and email addresses to both the investigating officer and the trial court. They cannot change their residence or contact information without giving at least seven days’ prior written notice to both the investigating officer and the trial court.
- Each appellant is required to personally appear before the station house officer (SHO) of the Police Station Crime Branch at Police Headquarters, Jai Singh Marg, New Delhi, twice a week specifically on Mondays and Thursdays between 10 am and 12 noon to mark their attendance. The SHO will keep a separate attendance register for each appellant and submit a monthly compliance report to the trial court for the case record.
- The appellants are prohibited from directly or indirectly contacting, influencing, intimidating, or attempting to engage with any witnesses or individuals associated with the proceedings. They may not engage in activities of any group or organization related to the subject matter of the current FIR or final report.
- The appellants must not publish, disseminate, or share any information, statements, articles, or posts whether in print, electronic format, or on social media regarding the present case or its participants until the trial concludes.
- The appellants are forbidden from participating in any programs, meetings, gatherings, rallies, or similar events either in person or virtually until the trial is completed.
- The appellants may not distribute any materials, whether electronic or physical, or circulate handbills, posters, or banners in any form.
- The appellants are expected to fully cooperate with the trial process, attending all scheduled hearings unless excused for reasons deemed acceptable by the trial court. They must not engage in any conduct that could delay the proceedings.
- The appellants must maintain peace and good behavior at all times. Should any offense occur during the trial, the prosecution may seek the revocation of the bail granted by filing an application with the trial court, which will consider it based on its own merits.
The Supreme Court today denied bail to student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the “larger conspiracy case” associated with the 2020 Delhi riots.
A bench consisting of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B. Varale stated that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence to establish a prima facie case against Khalid and Imam, leading to the statutory prohibition on bail under Section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The apex Court granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad, while rejecting the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Umar Khalid said,
“Jail is my life now; happy for others who got bail.”
His partner, Banjyosna Lahiri, mentioned that he felt happy and relieved for the co-accused who received bail, while he acknowledged that prison has become his new reality.
Sharing Khalid’s response on X, Lahiri quoted him saying,
“I am really happy for the others who got bail. So relieved.”
When she informed him that she would visit the following day for a meeting, Khalid responded,
“Good, good, aa jana. Ab yahi zindagi hai.”
Previously, The Delhi Police firmly opposed the release of student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and three others charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case.
Earlier, The Delhi alleged that they were the “masterminds” behind the large-scale violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
Khalid’s bail pleas have been repeatedly rejected. The trial court denied his request in March 2022, and the Delhi High Court refused his appeals in October 2022 and again on September 2, 2024.
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