The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case today.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria will pronounce the verdict on multiple pleas of the accused in the case.
The top court had on 10 December reserved its verdict on separate pleas of the accused after hearing arguments from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, and senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the accused.
Police have said that Sharjeel Imam's speeches can be attributed to other accused and can be used as evidence against them in the case.
S V Raju had contended that all the participants are liable for each other's acts in a conspiracy.
“Acts of one conspirator can be attributed to others. Sharjeel Imam's speeches can be attributed to Umar Khalid. Sharjeel Imam's case will be considered as evidence against the others,” he had told the bench, which conducted hearings on the bail pleas on multiple days.
The additional solicitor general had argued that Khalid deliberately planned to leave Delhi before the riots as he wanted to deflect responsibility.
Seeking bail, Imam had expressed anguish before the apex court for being "labelled" a "dangerous intellectual terrorist", without a full-fledged trial or a single conviction.
Khalid, Imam, Fatima, Meeran Haider and Shifa Ur Rehman have been booked under the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
According to Section 16 of the UAPA, “Whoever commits a terrorist act shall, if such act has resulted in the death of any person, be punishable with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”
The violence erupted during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Last week, a group of US lawmakers, including Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskinhas, sent a letter to India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, calling for a fair and timely trial for activist Umar Khalid in “accordance with international law".
The eight lawmakers flagged concerns over the “prolonged pre-trial detention of individuals charged in connection with the February 2020 violence in Delhi.”
Also newly-elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani also penned a note for Khalid, referring to his reflections on “bitterness” and the need to ensure it does not “consume one’s self".
The note was shared on X by Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri.
“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” read the handwritten note signed by Mamdani.
Khalid's parents had met Mamdani and US lawmakers recently.
Umar Khalid has been in custody since September 13, 2020, while Imam has been prisoned since January 28, 2020, weeks before the Delhi riots broke out.
The accused moved the apex court, challenging the Delhi High Court's September 2 order denying them bail in the “larger conspiracy” case of the February 2020 riots.
Commnal riots broke out in parts of Northeast Delhi in February 2020, amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The riots, which lasted several days, led to the several deaths, along with large-scale damage to homes, shops, and places of worship.
Curated by Dr. Elena Rodriguez
