The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam on October 27, 2025, along with other co-accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Shifa Ur Rehman, who are implicated in the 2020 Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). A bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria will preside over the hearing following the court's reopening after a seven-day Diwali vacation.
Both Khalid and Imam have been in custody for over five years, having been arrested in September 2020 and January 2020, respectively. They are accused of being key conspirators in the riots that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020, resulting in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The riots were triggered by protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Sharjeel Imam had approached the Supreme Court on September 6, 2025, after the Delhi High Court rejected his bail plea. He faces charges of sedition, promoting enmity between groups, and unlawful activities. Authorities arrested Imam in January 2020, accusing him of inciting communal violence through speeches made at Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University. The Delhi Police allege that Imam conspired to cause widespread violence and booked him under multiple FIRs in several states.
Umar Khalid challenged the Delhi High Court's rejection of his bail plea on September 10, 2025. Khalid, a former JNU student, has been in jail since September 14, 2020, under UAPA charges, denying any involvement in the riots. Khalid's lawyer and father have argued that he has been framed without material evidence, pointing to delayed evidence, selective targeting, and a lack of physical proof. His defense argues the case relies on witness statements rather than concrete evidence. They claim Khalid's name was controversially added to the "larger conspiracy" case despite no direct connection to the 2020 Delhi riots.
The prosecution has maintained that the riots were not spontaneous but a pre-planned conspiracy with a sinister motive. The Delhi High Court had previously observed that there was prima facie a grave role of Imam and Khalid in the conspiracy, alleging they delivered inflammatory speeches on communal lines to instigate mass mobilization of the Muslim community.
In September 2025, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding the bail pleas of Khalid, Imam, and others. The court initially scheduled a hearing for October 7, but it has now been rescheduled to October 27, 2025. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing several accused, including Imam, stated that they are students and have been in jail for over five years.
Umar Khalid has argued that he was unfairly singled out by the police, while others with bigger roles were not made accused. His counsel has questioned why others present at alleged conspiratorial meetings were not booked under UAPA.
Sharjeel Imam also sought interim bail to contest the Bihar Assembly elections, but later withdrew the plea. He intended to run as an independent candidate.
The cases against Khalid and Imam have drawn attention to the use of UAPA and the prolonged detention of the accused without a trial.
