The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to deliver its verdict on January 5, 2026, regarding the bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and five others accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria reserved judgment in December 2025 after extensive hearings involving arguments from the accused and Delhi Police, which has invoked the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to oppose their release.

Umar Khalid has remained in custody since September 2020, while Sharjeel Imam has been incarcerated since January 2020—both for over five years without trial commencement in the main case. The petitioners, including Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed, challenge a September 2025 Delhi High Court order that denied bail, describing them as key figures in a premeditated plot leading to violence that claimed 53 lives and caused widespread destruction.

Delhi Police allegations center on claims that the accused orchestrated protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act into communal riots through inflammatory speeches and coordinated planning. Key evidence cited includes Sharjeel Imam's statements about blocking supply routes and paralyzing Delhi, alongside references to Umar Khalid's prior activities, though the defense contends these are selectively misinterpreted excerpts from broader protest contexts.

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During hearings, the Supreme Court bench probed the prosecution on whether protest-related speeches qualify as "terrorist acts" under UAPA Section 15, while the accused highlighted prolonged detention, trial delays, and alleged prosecutorial tactics to extend the conspiracy narrative. Advocates for the petitioners argued that handpicked WhatsApp messages and speech snippets create prejudice without establishing direct links to violence.

The case has drawn international attention, with figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently expressing support for Khalid's release. As of this morning on January 5, no verdict has been reported, leaving uncertainty over whether Khalid, Imam, and the others will secure bail or continue facing restrictions under the anti-terror law amid ongoing debates on protest rights and investigative fairness.

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