SC defers bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam in Delhi riots case till Sept 22
Supreme Court adjourns bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in Delhi Riots conspiracy case
The Supreme Court on Friday (September 19) deferred the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in the Delhi Riots case till September 22. The bail plea was deferred by a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Manmohan.
The development comes days after the top court, on September 1,2 adjourned the bail pleas of the activists in the Delhi Riots case till today. The activists have been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged conspiracy behind the riots in the national capital in February 2020.
Delhi HC denied bail
The activists have challenged a September 2 order of the Delhi High Court that denied bail to nine people, including Khalid and Imam, saying "conspiratorial" violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens could not be allowed.
Besides Khalid and Imam, those who faced bail rejection are Fatima, Haider, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed.
The bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was rejected by a different high court bench on September 2.
Also Read: SC adjourns bail pleas of activists in 2020 Delhi riots case to Sept 19
‘Right to protest not absolute’
The High Court stated that although the right to protest and carry out demonstrations is provided by the Constitution if the protests are orderly, peaceful, without arms, within the bounds of law and protected under Article 19(1)(a), it was "not absolute" and "subject to reasonable restrictions".
"If the exercise of an unfettered right to protest were permitted, it would damage the constitutional framework and impinge upon the law and order situation in the country," the bail rejection order said.
Also Read: Delhi HC denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in 2020 riots case
Booked under UAPA
Khalid, Imam and the rest of the accused persons were booked under UAPA and provisions of the erstwhile Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The accused, who have denied all the allegations against them, have been in jail since 2020 and had moved the high court after a trial court rejected their bail pleas.
(With agency inputs)