2020 Delhi riots case: Supreme Court to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam on October 31
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "2020 Delhi riots case: Supreme Court to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam on October 31")
Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student activist Umar Khalid Photograph: (ANI)
SC adjourns hearing on bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and others in the 2020 Delhi riots case to October 31, after delay in filing counter-affidavit
The Supreme Court on Monday (October 27), postponed the hearing of bail applications filed by activists Sharjeel Imam, former JNU student Umar Khalid, and three others in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The court rescheduled the matter for October 31 after the Additional Solicitor-General, SV Raju, representing the Delhi Police, requested more time to submit a counter-affidavit.
However, the bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria remarked that the Delhi Police had already been granted ample time to respond, saying, “There is no need for a counter in bail matters.” The bench also expressed frustration with the ongoing delay. Earlier, on September 2, 2025, the Delhi High Court had denied bail to nine accused, including Khalid and Imam, citing the unacceptable nature of “conspiratorial violence” disguised as protests.
Khalid, Imam, and the other accused are facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other sections of the IPC for allegedly masterminding the February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. On October 17, 2025, Umar Khalid told a Delhi court that there was "no physical evidence" linking him to the riots conspiracy, stressing that the charge sheet only relied on statements given months after the events. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing one of the petitioners, opposed further delays, emphasising that the case already concerns significant delays.
What is the 2020 Delhi riots case?
On the night of February 23, 2020, violent clashes erupted in Northeast Delhi between Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and pro-CAA protestors. The unrest quickly escalated into communal violence, resulting in the deaths of over 53 individuals over the following ten days. More than 200 others were injured. In the chaos, businesses and homes were set on fire, and even religious sites were targeted.
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