Imam and Khalid seek Supreme Court bail in riots case

Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid have petitioned the Supreme Court of India for bail, challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 30 refusal in the case alleging a larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The new petitions argue that their continued detention and the slow progress of the trial justify their release. No hearing date or decision on the petitions has been reported. The High Court refused bail after finding it could not alter conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in an order dated January 5, 2026. That order rejected bail for Imam and Khalid but allowed them to apply again after protected witnesses had been examined or one year had passed, whichever came first. In their fresh applications, both men rely on the approaching end of the one-year restriction and the lack of progress in examining witnesses. Khalid argues that the trial has not advanced and that prolonged incarceration without trial progress warrants bail. His plea also says charges remain unframed and refers to a delay in the trial court’s decision on charges. Imam’s petition says he has spent six years and nine months as an undertrial and that prosecutors have examined none of...