A Delhi court has rejected the regular bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The bail applications were dismissed by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Court after considering arguments from both sides.
Both Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam had filed for regular bail in a case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other legal provisions. Last month, the trial court had issued notices on their bail pleas and instructed the Delhi Police to submit their response.
Sharjeel Imam argued in his plea that despite more than six months passing since the Supreme Court rejected his bail plea in January, there has been little progress in the trial. He highlighted that discussions on framing charges were still ongoing, and he had been in custody for nearly six years in connection with the case.
Umar Khalid also sought regular bail before the trial court, and both applications were heard jointly by the Karkardooma Court. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court denied bail to Khalid and Imam, citing prima facie grounds for the statutory embargo on bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA. However, bail was granted to five other accused in the same case.
The case revolves around an alleged larger conspiracy linked to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots and is under investigation under the UAPA and other legal statutes.
