Delhi HC rejects Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam’s third bail pleas in 2020 riots case

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed the third bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the alleged larger-conspiracy case related to the February 2020 north-east Delhi riots, registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

A Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt said it could not alter the Supreme Court’s January 5, 2026 order, which allowed the two accused to renew their bail requests only after protected witnesses had been examined or after one year had elapsed from that order, whichever came first.

The High Court held that neither condition had been met. It therefore found no reason to interfere with the trial court’s July 4 order refusing their fresh bail applications. With this ruling, the High Court has rejected bail pleas by Khalid and Imam in the case for a third time.

Khalid and Imam are accused in a case alleging a wider conspiracy behind the communal violence in north-east Delhi in February 2020. The case is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell, and other accused include activist Khalid Saifi and former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain.

The riots broke out amid protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, leaving 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Khalid was arrested on September 13, 2020, while Imam was arrested on August 25 that year. The police have opposed their bail pleas, alleging that they were among the masterminds of the violence.