SC verdict on Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam live updates: Decision on jailed activists' bail pleas today

SC verdict on Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam live updates: The Supreme Court is set to pronounce its verdict on the bail plea for student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who have been jailed for over five years due to their alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots. Imam, Khalid and the others have challenged the Delhi High Court order, which has denied them bail in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), linked to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 riots....Read More

The order will be pronounced by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria. Apart from Khalid and Imam, the top court will also decide on the release of five others, including Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.

The 2020 north-east Delhi riots took place in February, and followed weeks of tension after the around protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The violence last several days, and led to multiple deaths, with large-scale damage to homes, shops, and places of worship.

In the aftermath of the protests, the Delhi Police carried out a probe, calling the violence a “conspiracy” linked to protests against the CAA. In the course of the investigation, several activists and students were arrested under the stringent UAPA Act.

Among them were Khalid, a student activist associated with earlier campus movements, and Imam, a former JNU student. Khalid has been in custody since September 13, 2020, and Imam since January 28, 2020, weeks before the Delhi riots broke out.

The accused has argued that the prosecution had adopted a tactic of arresting one accused at a time to artificially extend the alleged conspiracy and delay the trial, according to an earlier HT report.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has cited, as a crucial piece of evidence, a video of Imam in which he is seen speaking about blocking the “chicken neck” corridor, and separating Assam from the rest of India. Another video, in which Imam is allegedly planning to “paralyse Delhi” through a “chakka jam”, cutting off essential supplies, has also been cited.

Supreme Court verdict on Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Live Updates: The verdict on the bail pleas of jailed activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and five others will be delivered by a bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria.

SC verdict on Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam live updates: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and others in the under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), linked to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 riots in parts of north-east Delhi.