Delhi HC questions lengthy submissions opposing bail for Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
text_fieldsThe Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the prosecution to conclude its arguments in the bail applications of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and six others linked to the 2020 Delhi riots case, emphasising that the submissions could not continue indefinitely.
The division bench, comprising Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur, interrupted the Special Public Prosecutor while he was reading extracts from speeches allegedly made by Sharjeel Imam, questioning the length of his arguments.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, representing the Delhi Police, also sought more time to make submissions, prompting the court to stress the need for the proceedings to be wrapped up.
The court scheduled the next hearing for 12 February while hearing the bail petitions of Khalid, Imam, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima, all of whom have been in custody for over four years.
They have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act for their alleged roles in the February 2020 riots in North East Delhi.
The riots, which erupted between supporters and opponents of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, left 53 people dead and hundreds injured, with the majority of casualties being Muslims.
According to the Delhi Police, the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, allegedly orchestrated by those organising protests against the amended citizenship law.
The activists have sought bail citing delays in the trial, arguing for parity with co-accused student activists Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita, and Natasha Narwal, who were granted bail in June 2021. The court had previously advised the police to present concise arguments, suggesting that lengthy submissions were unnecessary at this stage of the trial.