Supreme Court To Hear Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Bail Pleas Today
The Supreme Court will hear the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and other accused in the Delhi Riots larger conspiracy case today. A bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and NV Anjaria will hear the matter. Recently, a Delhi High Court division bench denied bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and 4 others.
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All of the accused have been languishing in jail since 2020 under the draconian UAPA in connection with the Delhi pogrom larger conspiracy case. Their case remained largely unheard, and bail was denied by the courts. ,
After the Delhi High Court denied their bail applications, the appellants knocked on the Supreme Court’s doors to seek justice.
FIRs were registered by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell against the accused under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967.
They were alleged to have participated in and incited the Delhi riots and mobilised masses to violence.
Whereas the appelant Umar Khalid has submitted himself as non-guilty arguing 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.
Similarly, accused Kahlid Saifi has submitted that can UAPA can be imposed on meer basis of innocuous messages or attempt to make stories out of such messages?.
Read also: No Bail No Trial: Gulfisha Fatima’s 5 Year-Long Ordeal After Her Arrest In 2020 Delhi Riots
While Sharjeel Imam representative has argued 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.
