NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on September 30 rejected the bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the alleged larger conspiracy case related to the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots. A Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh and Justice Dinesh Bhatt dismissed their appeals against the July 4 order of the Karkardooma Court, which had rejected their regular bail applications.
The Bench said the two appeals arose from the trial court’s order on their bail applications in the case, which relates to the alleged conspiracy behind the riots in the backdrop of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The court noted that Khalid and Imam had earlier sought bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and their pleas had reached the Supreme Court. The apex court had granted bail to five of the seven accused before it but rejected the pleas of Khalid and Imam.
The High Court noted that the Supreme Court had distinguished the roles attributed to Khalid and Imam from those of the other accused and had described them as “ideological drivers” of the alleged conspiracy.
The Supreme Court had, while rejecting their bail pleas, permitted them to renew their applications after either the completion of examination of protected witnesses or one year, whichever was earlier.
During the hearing, the Bench considered the appellants’ reliance on subsequent decisions, including the judgment concerning Iftikhar Andrabi and the interim bail granted to co-accused Tasleem Ahmad and Khalid Saifi.
On the plea of parity, the court observed that the roles attributed to Tasleem Ahmad and Khalid Saifi were different from those attributed to Khalid and Imam and, therefore, parity could not be claimed.
The Bench also noted that the trial court had completed arguments on framing of charges. It was informed that a separate issue concerning inspection of unrelied documents, arising from proceedings involving co-accused Devangana Kalita, was pending before the Supreme Court and the trial court was awaiting the apex court’s decision.
The High Court held that it could not go beyond or modify the directions issued by the Supreme Court and was bound by judicial discipline. The Bench accordingly found no ground to interfere with the trial court’s July 4 order and rejected the bail pleas of both Khalid and Imam. The case arises from FIR 59/2020 registered by the Delhi Police Special Cell concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
(With inputs from ANI)
