High Court to Hear Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Bail Pleas on September 30 in the Delhi Riots Case

The Delhi High Court will hear the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam on September 30 in the UAPA case linked to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

The matter was listed before a division bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Dinesh Bhatt on Monday. The hearing was deferred after Delhi Police sought an adjournment, citing the unavailability of Additional Solicitor General S V Raju.

Why Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam’s Bail Pleas Are Back Before HC

Khalid and Imam approached the High Court after a trial court rejected their bail applications for the third time on July 4.

Imam was arrested in the case on August 25, 2020, while Khalid was arrested on September 13, 2020. Both are accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 violence.

The Delhi Police has opposed their bail pleas and described both as alleged “masterminds” of the riots. The prosecution has also argued that they cannot claim bail on parity with other accused who have received relief.

What Happened During the 2020 Delhi Riots

The north-east Delhi violence erupted in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.

According to the case records cited by the court, the violence left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The larger conspiracy case is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell.

Several people have been accused in the case, including former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and activist Khalid Saifi. Hussain's bail plea was also deferred by the High Court on Monday and listed for hearing in November.

What the Supreme Court Said Earlier

The Supreme Court's January 5 order is central to the latest bail proceedings.

The top court had denied bail to Khalid and Imam while granting relief to five other co-accused — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad. The court had observed that a prima facie case existed against Khalid and Imam under the UAPA.

The prosecution has told the High Court that the January order restricted the timing of fresh bail pleas, with release to be considered after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year, whichever was earlier.

High Court Had Denied Bail in 2025

The Delhi High Court had rejected bail pleas by Khalid and Imam in September 2025.

The Supreme Court subsequently considered their challenge and, in January 2026, upheld the earlier position concerning their detention while granting bail to five other accused in the case.

In a separate development, the Supreme Court in May granted six months' interim bail to co-accused Abdul Khalid Saifi and Tasleem Ahmad while referring the wider issue of prolonged incarceration of undertrials in UAPA cases to a larger bench.

September 30 Hearing

The Delhi High Court's September 30 hearing will determine the next stage of Khalid and Imam's latest bail challenge.

The proceedings are expected to focus on the effect of the Supreme Court's earlier orders, the prosecution's objections and the circumstances surrounding the continued detention of the two accused.