A Delhi court has reserved its decision on the regular bail requests of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam concerning the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The Karkardooma Court postponed its ruling after listening to arguments on the bail petitions of the two individuals. Khalid and Imam have filed for regular bail in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other legal statutes. Last month, the court had issued notices on their bail pleas and instructed the Delhi Police to submit their responses.
Imam argued in his plea that despite more than six months passing since the Supreme Court rejected his bail application in January, there has been little progress in the trial. He highlighted that discussions on framing charges are still ongoing, and he has been in custody for nearly six years. Khalid has also sought regular bail before the trial court, and both applications were heard jointly. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court denied bail to Khalid and Imam, citing prima facie grounds under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA.
The Supreme Court recently granted six months’ interim bail to Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi while referring the issue of prolonged incarceration and trial delays for further review. Noting differing views within the apex court on the interpretation of certain judgments, a Bench directed the matter to the Chief Justice of India for appropriate action. The court observed divergent applications of legal precedents in bail pleas under stringent laws like the UAPA and the NIA Act.
