The Delhi High Court on Friday requested the Delhi Police to submit their stance on activist Umar Khalid‘s plea for bail in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). This plea relates to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the violent February 2020 riots in north-east Delhi, which resulted in the tragic loss of 53 lives and injuries to over 700 individuals.
During the court proceedings, a bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan instructed the Delhi Police to file their response within a two-week timeline. The court will revisit Khalid’s bail application on August 27, alongside the case of his co-accused, Sharjeel Imam.
Khalid’s defense counsel highlighted that this marks his third attempt at securing bail since his arrest in September 2020. They are also pleading for interim bail while the case proceeds.
The latest action comes after a trial court dismissed Khalid’s previous bail request on July 4, adhering strictly to a Supreme Court directive issued on January 5, which limited the court’s ability to approve the plea.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, representing the Delhi Police, noted that Imam’s bail was similarly rejected under the same trial court ruling and proposed that both cases be deliberated together due to their interconnectedness.
Khalid faces serious allegations of orchestrating the February riots that erupted amid widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019 and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Investigations led by the Delhi Police Special Cell have targeted several key figures, including activists Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, among others. All have been implicated in this significant conspiracy case.
The trial court’s rejection of Khalid’s bail application noted that it had “no choice but to follow” the directives of the Supreme Court, thereby limiting its capacity to grant bail based on current evidence and circumstances.
In a prior related ruling, a high court division bench on September 2, 2025, denied Khalid bail, while the Supreme Court upholding it on January 5 offered relief to several co-accused individuals, including Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider.
Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, during their deliberations, observed that there exists a prima facie case against both Khalid and Imam under the UAPA. They further noted that the accused could not be equated due to differing levels of involvement in the alleged criminal activities.
