Delhi Riots 2020 Case: The Supreme Court has dismissed the bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the "larger conspiracy" case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria reserved its judgment on December 10, 2025, after concluding hearings from the accused and the Delhi Police, which invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to oppose their release.

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Details About Umar Khalid And Sharjeel Imam Case

- Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam have been in custody since September 13, 2020, and January 28, 2020, respectively, weeks before the Delhi riots broke out. According to a Hindustan Times report, the accused argued that the prosecution was adopting a strategy of arresting individuals one by one to artificially extend the alleged conspiracy and systematically delay the start of the trial.

- The 2020 riots, which erupted across Northeast Delhi in February, following weeks of escalating tension over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests, left a trail of significant casualties and widespread destruction of private property, businesses, and religious sites.

- During the investigation, the Delhi Police described the violence as a conspiracy linked to protests against CAA. This led to the arrest of several activists, students, and intellectuals under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), including former JNU student Sharjeel Imam and activist Umar Khalid. Authorities alleged that their speeches and activities directly contributed to the planning and escalation of the riots, claims that both individuals, Imam and Khalid, have consistently denied.

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- Key evidence cited by the Delhi Police against Sharjeel Imam includes video footage in which he is seen speaking about blocking the “chicken neck” corridor and separating Assam from the rest of India. In another video, Imam allegedly details a plan to paralyse the national capital through a “chakka jam”, cutting off the supply of essential goods like milk and vegetables.

- During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju cited Umar Khalid's past records, particularly a 2016 JNU protest. The prosecution alleged that Khalid raised "Bharat tere tukde tukde honge" slogans during that event, noting that this FIR had been relied upon in the supplementary charge sheet filed in November 2020.

(With Inputs From Jagran.com)