The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, rejected the fresh bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the case concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots. A Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt upheld the trial court’s July 4 order that had rejected their bail applications.
The two had approached the High Court after the trial court refused their third bail applications. Their lawyers argued that there had been changes in circumstances, including the passage of additional time in custody and developments in other Supreme Court cases. They also pointed out that charges had not yet been framed when the matter was argued.
However, the High Court held that it could not modify the conditions laid down by the Supreme Court in its January 5, 2026 order. The Supreme Court had rejected bail for Khalid and Imam but allowed them to seek bail again after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from the order, whichever came earlier. The High Court said that granting bail before those conditions were met would effectively amount to modifying the Supreme Court’s directions.
The court also considered arguments concerning bail granted to other accused persons and a subsequent Supreme Court judgment in a separate case. It found that those developments did not provide grounds to override the specific directions applicable to Khalid and Imam.
The case relates to FIR 59/2020 concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. Umar Khalid was arrested in September 2020, while Sharjeel Imam was arrested in August 2020. Both face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
