Jailed student activist Sharjeel Imam has filed for bail in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case, with his appeal set for hearing at the Delhi High Court on Friday. The matter is listed before a Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan as per the cause list on the court’s official website. Imam is challenging the Karkardooma Court’s decision denying him regular bail in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions.
Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid had their regular bail pleas dismissed by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai earlier this month. The trial court cited the Supreme Court’s January 5 order rejecting their bail and stated that fresh applications were not maintainable. The trial court emphasized that the accused could renew their bail plea only after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from the Supreme Court’s order.
During the trial court proceedings, Imam argued that there had been no significant progress in the trial despite being in custody for nearly six years. He referred to subsequent Supreme Court judgments and bail granted to other co-accused to support his plea for reconsideration of bail. The prosecution opposed Imam’s plea, stating that there was no substantial change in circumstances warranting reconsideration after the Supreme Court’s rejection of his bail plea.
The Supreme Court had earlier denied bail to Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, citing prima facie grounds under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA. However, bail was granted to five other co-accused while the question of prolonged incarceration and trial delay’s impact on bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA was referred to a larger Bench. The case revolves around the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
