Guwahati: The Supreme Court on Monday (January 5, 2026) rejected the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
The case falls under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and concerns the alleged ‘larger conspiracy’ behind the February 2020 Delhi riots.
A Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria emphasized the seriousness of the charges against the two activists, stating they were “on a qualitatively different footing” compared to the other accused.
However, the court allowed five co-accused, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad, to be released after distinguishing their roles in the incidents of violence.
The verdict comes after the court had reserved its decision on December 10, 2025, regarding separate special leave petitions challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order that had denied bail.
The High Court had observed that an “unfettered right to protest” could pose a threat to public order, and the evidence appeared to indicate a coordinated plan behind the riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and left hundreds injured.
During the hearing, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi, representing Fatima, questioned the “public interest” in keeping a woman who had spent nearly six years as an undertrial in custody.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, also appearing for the petitioners, argued that such prolonged detention effectively amounted to pre-trial punishment.
Opposing the bail pleas, Additional Solicitor-General S.V. Raju, representing the Delhi Police, said the scale, planning, and intent of the violence suggested the conspiracy extended beyond protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
The prosecution described the riots as part of a coordinated “regime-change operation” carried out under the cover of civil dissent.