The BRICS TimesSharjeel Imam has filed an appeal before the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court dismissed his bail plea in the 2020 riots case, citing serious conspiracy allegations and extended detention without trial.
Activist Sharjeel Imam has now moved the Supreme Court challenging the Delhi High Court’s decision that refused him bail in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. Imam, who has been behind bars since his arrest on January 28, 2020, is seeking relief after the High Court’s ruling went against him earlier this month. The petition is expected to be listed for hearing before the top court in due course.
On September 2, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail pleas of Imam along with eight other accused, including Umar Khalid, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima. In its order, the court highlighted that the alleged involvement of Imam and Khalid appeared “grave,” as both were accused of delivering provocative speeches on communal lines aimed to “instigate mass mobilisation of members of the Muslim community.”
Imam has challenged this ruling delivered by a division bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur, maintaining that his prolonged detention without charges being framed effectively amounts to a miscarriage of justice. His lawyers emphasized that several bail applications filed since 2022 have remained undecided, and the continued delay in the trial is a significant ground for his plea.
Delhi Riots 2020 Case
The February 2020 communal riots in Delhi, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), left nearly 50 people dead and hundreds injured, according to reports. The prosecution has alleged that Imam and other accused figures were part of a larger conspiracy to orchestrate the violence. The FIR lodged by the Delhi Police Special Cell invoked multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as well as provisions under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Several accused in the conspiracy case face charges in multiple FIRs, resulting in numerous bail pleas across different courts. Most of them, including Imam, have remained in judicial custody since 2020. Imam also faces separate cases in other states, primarily under sedition and UAPA provisions, further complicating his legal battles.
