Delhi High Court rejects bail appeals by Khalid and Imam

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed appeals by Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam challenging the trial court’s refusal to grant them bail in the case concerning an alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The bench said it could not alter conditions set by the Supreme Court for renewed bail applications and upheld the trial court’s July 4 decision. The appeals were heard by Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt. The High Court said the Supreme Court had allowed Khalid and Imam to seek bail again after protected witnesses had been examined or one year had passed from its order, whichever came first. The High Court said it was bound by that direction and could not modify it. Khalid’s lawyer, Trideep Pais, argued that changed circumstances, prolonged custody and limited progress in the trial supported reconsideration of bail. Counsel for Imam also cited his prolonged incarceration and the pace of the proceedings. Pais said Khalid had been in custody for nearly six years. The court noted that arguments on framing charges had concluded in the trial court.