The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday reserved its verdict on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and other accused in the case related to the February 2020 Delhi riots. The case involves allegations of a pre-planned conspiracy behind the violence that resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries.

A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria heard detailed arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, and senior advocates including Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid, and Sidharth Luthra. The court reserved its judgment after extensive deliberations.

The Delhi Police strongly opposed the bail applications, describing the riots as a “pre-orchestrated, well-designed attack on India’s sovereignty” rather than spontaneous incidents. The police argued that the accused played a central role in inciting and organizing the violence, and releasing them on bail could impede ongoing investigations.

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Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others are facing charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, alongside provisions of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code. The accused have maintained that they were wrongly implicated and have challenged the September 2 order of the Delhi High Court, which had rejected their bail applications in what the court termed the “larger conspiracy” case.

The Supreme Court’s decision is being closely watched, given the high-profile nature of the case and its implications on anti-terror laws, freedom of expression, and legal precedents concerning bail under UAPA. Observers note that the verdict could set a benchmark for how courts balance national security concerns with individual liberties in politically sensitive cases.

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