India Supreme Court Denies Bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam in Riots Case

The Supreme Court of India on Monday denied bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case alleging their involvement in a larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi, while granting conditional bail to five co-accused individuals. The decision, delivered by a bench comprising Justices A.S. Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, came after the court reserved its order on December 10 following extensive hearings.

The riots, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulted in 53 deaths and more than 700 injuries, marking one of the most severe episodes of communal violence in the capital in recent decades. Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University student, and Imam, a scholar, have been in custody since their arrests in September 2020. They face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly masterminding the unrest through planning, mobilization, and provocative speeches.

In its order, the court emphasized a distinction in the roles attributed to the accused. It found that prosecution evidence, including witness statements, call records, and...