Delhi High Court Seeks Police Response on Sharjeel Imam's Bail Plea in 2020 Riots Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Delhi police to respond to a bail plea filed by student activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 North East Delhi riots.

A Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice on Imam's appeal challenging the trial court's July 4 decision rejecting his second regular bail application. The court posted the case for hearing on August 27.

Imam was arrested on August 25, 2020, and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly being one of the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

On July 4, the trial court dismissed the bail applications of Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid, holding that it was bound by the Supreme Court's January order which had imposed conditions on renewed bail pleas.

The Supreme Court, on January 5, 2026, had rejected the bail pleas of the two and expressly directed that they could renew their bail requests only after the protected witnesses in the case were examined or upon the expiry of one year from that date, whichever was earlier.

In a common order for both Imam and Khalid, who have been in jail for over five years under UAPA charges, the trial court held it had "no option" but to follow the Supreme Court's directions.

Opposing the applications, the prosecution submitted that the Supreme Court had already rejected the bail pleas of both applicants on January 5, 2026, and that Khalid's review petition had subsequently been dismissed on April 16, 2026. It argued that there had been no substantial change in circumstances justifying reconsideration of bail.