'5 Years Passed': SC Pulls Up Delhi Police For Not Replying To Umar Khalid, Sharjeel's Bail Pleas

Last Updated:October 27, 2025, 16:27 IST

Supreme Court deferred hearing to October 31 on bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in the UAPA case linked to Feb 2020 Delhi riots.

File photo of Supreme Court (Image: PTI)

The Supreme Court on Monday deferred to October 31 hearing on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi. The bench pulled up Delhi Police for failing to file its response to the bail pleas.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N. V. Anjaria adjourned the matter after Additional Solicitor General S. V. Raju sought two weeks’ time. The court rejected the request, saying it would hear the matter on Friday.

“We have given you enough time. You may be appearing for the first time. Last time we said issue notice and we said in that open court that we will hear this matter on October 27th and will dispose it off," Justice Kumar said.

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal for Umar Khalid highlighted that the petitioners have been behind bars for over 5 years.

Agreeing to hear the matter on Friday, the bench said, “We are not saying we have read thread-bare, after all, it is a matter of bail…5 years they have completed."

Umar Khalid and others have moved the top court against the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order denying them bail. The top court had issued notice to the police on September 22.

The high court refused bail for nine individuals, including Khalid and Imam, stating that “conspiratorial" violence disguised as citizen demonstrations or protests cannot 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.

Khalid, Imam, and the rest of the accused persons were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the erstwhile IPC 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 and the National Register of Citizens.

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News india '5 Years Passed': SC Pulls Up Delhi Police For Not Replying To Umar Khalid, Sharjeel's Bail Pleas

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