No Bail For Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam; SC Grants Bail To 5 Others In Delhi Riots Larger Conspiracy Case
The Supreme Court of India has today denied bail to jailed student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the high-profile larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, while granting relief to five other accused persons. This decision, pronounced on January 5, 2026 by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria, underscores a nuanced assessment of individual roles amid prolonged pre-trial detention exceeding five years for many involved. The ruling follows the Delhi High Court’s dismissal of their bail pleas on 2 September 2025, highlighting prima facie evidence under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The bench emphasised that not all accused stand on equal footing, rejecting a collective approach in favour of independent scrutiny of each petitioner’s alleged involvement. For Khalid and Imam, the court found materials disclosing a prima facie case under UAPA, particularly Section 15 on terrorist acts, which extends beyond blatant violence to disruptions threatening economic stability. Justices noted their “qualitatively different” roles compared to others, rooted in evidence like WhatsApp chats, speeches, and pamphlets from anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in late 2019.
In contrast, the court ordered release for Gulfisha Fatima, Meera Haider (also spelled Meeran Haider), Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed, citing lesser culpability and extended incarceration without trial commencement. Bail comes with 12 stringent conditions, including prohibitions on misuse, with warnings of cancellation for violations; the trial court must expedite proceedings, especially protected witness examinations.
The February 2020 northeast Delhi riots erupted amid CAA-NRC protests, claiming over 50 lives– mostly Muslim — and injuring hundreds in communal clashes. Delhi Police alleges a premeditated “larger conspiracy” masked as Shaheen Bagh sit-ins, timed for US President Donald Trump’s visit to maximise global attention, involving regime-change plots and targeted violence against non-Muslims. Charge sheets detail WhatsApp groups, funding for property damage, and inflammatory calls for “chakka jam” blockades post-CAA passage.
Accused like Khalid, a former JNU scholar, and Imam, a PhD student, fronted student-led protests; prosecution brands them key conspirators and mentors. Others granted bail, such as Haider (JNU student) and Fatima, organised local protests like in Chandbagh, but face weaker direct links to core plotting.
Khalid and Imam, arrested in 2020, have endured over 1,800 days in Tihar Jail, challenging HC orders via special leave petitions reserved in December 2025. The case, under NIA investigation post-FIR, spans multiple charge sheets with 58 witnesses, including protected ones. Families of victims urged denial, fearing recurrence.
