The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the case linked to the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots. The matter relates to the violence that broke out in northeast Delhi during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, which resulted in 53 deaths and left over 700 people injured.
A bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria delivered the judgment while deciding the bail petitions filed by several accused persons in the same case. The court said that, based on the material placed before it, there appeared to be a prima facie case against Khalid and Imam under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act).
According to the court, the available records showed allegations serious enough to deny bail at this stage. The bench noted that this stage of proceedings did not justify releasing Khalid and Imam on bail. 
However, the Supreme Court approved bail for some of the other accused in the case. Those granted bail include Gulfisha Fatima, Meera Haider, Shifa-ur-Rahman, Mohammed Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed. Their release will be subject to various conditions set by the court.
The bench also observed that the decision to grant bail to some of the accused does not weaken the wider conspiracy case being investigated. It said that Khalid and Imam stand on a different footing compared to others facing trial in the matter.
Reacting to the verdict, S.Q.R. Ilyas, father of Umar Khalid, said he did not wish to comment and that the judgment spoke for itself.
Earlier, on December 10, the Supreme Court had reserved its decision after hearing arguments from both sides. Senior law officers represented the Delhi Police, while several senior lawyers appeared for the accused.
Khalid, Imam and others have been charged under the anti-terror law UAPA as well as sections of the former Indian Penal Code. They are accused of playing a key role in planning the protests that allegedly led to the 2020 violence.
