Delhi High Court denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and 4 others in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. All appeals have been dismissed. All of them have been languishing in jail since 2020 under the draconian UAPA in connection with the Delhi pogrom larger conspiracy case.

A division bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur pronounced the verdict.

The other accused include Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, and Shadab Ahmed.

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The accused persons challenged orders passed by the trial court denying them bail in the case.

FIR was registered by Delhi Police’s Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.

Umar Khalid was represented through Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, who submitted that merely being on WhatsApp groups, without sending any message, is not criminal. Pais submitted that no money ad otherwise, was recovered from Khalid. Also, the alleged secret meeting on the night of 23-24 February 2020 was not as secretive as claimed by the prosecution.

Accused Kahlid Saifi was represented through Senior Advocate Rebecca John who submitted that can UAPA can be imposed on meer basis of innocuous messages or attempt to make stories out of such messages?.

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While Sharjeel Imam submitted that he is completely disconnected from all the co-accused and is not part of any kind of conspiracy or meeting as alleged by the Delhi Police. The last overt act relied upon by the Delhi Police is a speech delivered by him in Bihar.

SGI Tushar Mehta appearing for Delhi Police opposed the bail pleas and said, if you are doing something agains the nation then ‘you better be in jail till you are acquitted or convicted”.