The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the third bail pleas of student activists Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid in a case that alleged their involvement in a larger conspiracy behind the Northeast Delhi riots of 2020, which claimed the lives of 53 people, mostly Muslims. The case is registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A bench of Justices Pratibha M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt said that it is “bound by judicial discipline” of the Supreme Court verdicts. The court said that both Sharjeel and Umar cannot claim parity with accused Tasleem Ahmad and Abdul Khalid. Both Ahmad and Saifi were granted bail by the Supreme Court with different views on granting bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
“In view of the above discussion and overall facts of these cases, specifically the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in Gulfisha Fatima, this court cannot find fault with the order passed by the trial court. The present appeals are therefore dismissed,” the High Court said.
Sharjeel and Umar sought bail on changes in circumstances that the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Gulfisha Fatima case was later reconsidered. Two co-accused, Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi, were given interim bail because their trial was taking too long. Six more months had also passed since the Supreme Court’s January ruling.
Both Khalid and Imam approached the trial court after the Supreme Court rejected their bail pleas in January 2026 and granted bail to the other five accused. On July 4, the trial court rejected their fresh bail applications, following which they moved to the Delhi High Court.
“Importantly, this Court has no option but to follow the judgment dated 05.01.2026, as passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, whereby the petitions of both the applicants were dismissed,” the court said as reported by the Bar and Bench.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the third bail pleas of student activists Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid in a case that alleged their involvement in a larger conspiracy behind the Northeast Delhi riots of 2020, which claimed the lives of 53 people, mostly Muslims. The case is registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
A bench of Justices Pratibha M. Singh and Dinesh Bhatt said that it is “bound by judicial discipline” of the Supreme Court verdicts. The court said that both Sharjeel and Umar cannot claim parity with accused Tasleem Ahmad and Abdul Khalid. Both Ahmad and Saifi were granted bail by the Supreme Court with different views on granting bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
“In view of the above discussion and overall facts of these cases, specifically the conditions imposed by the Supreme Court in Gulfisha Fatima, this court cannot find fault with the order passed by the trial court. The present appeals are therefore dismissed,” the High Court said.
Sharjeel and Umar sought bail on changes in circumstances that the Supreme Court’s judgment in the Gulfisha Fatima case was later reconsidered. Two co-accused, Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi, were given interim bail because their trial was taking too long. Six more months had also passed since the Supreme Court’s January ruling.
Sharjeel Imam was arrested on August 25, 2020, and Umar Khalid was arrested on September 13, the same year. Both Khalid and Imam approached the trial court after the Supreme Court rejected their bail pleas in January 2026 and granted bail to the other five accused. On July 4, the trial court rejected their fresh bail applications, following which they moved to the Delhi High Court.
“Importantly, this Court has no option but to follow the judgment dated 05.01.2026, as passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court, whereby the petitions of both the applicants were dismissed,” the court said as reported by the Bar and Bench.
“In the said judgment, the Honorable Supreme Court, while dismissing the pleas of the applicants, opined that only on the completion of the examination of the protected witnesses as relied upon by the prosecution, or upon the expiry of a period of one year from the date of said order, whichever is earlier, the applicants would be at liberty to renew their prayer for grant of bail before the jurisdictional court. Thus, following the said order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, this Court cannot entertain the applications and grant bail to the applicants,” the court said, as the Bar and Bench reported.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others were booked under the UAPA and provisions of the IPC on allegations that they conspired in the Delhi riots 2020, which killed at least 53 people, mostly from the Muslim community. Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others were said to be the “masterminds” behind the case. The police said that the violence was a part of a conspiracy to defame the government and was organized against the amended Citizenship Act.
