The Supreme Court rejected the bail pleas of student activists Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case. The Court emphasized that, at the bail stage under the UAPA, it only assesses if there are reasonable grounds to believe the accusations are prima facie true.
Sharjeel Imam argued that he was not in Delhi during the riots, was already in custody before the violence, and that the case against him relied on speeches and WhatsApp groups. However, the Delhi Police maintained that he played a foundational role in a planned conspiracy starting in December 2019.
The Court noted that the prosecution’s narrative portrayed Imam as involved in a mobilization strategy from early December 2019 to January 2020. It emphasized that the material must be viewed cumulatively and not in isolation, and that the case was not solely based on speeches.
