Will the Supreme Court Hear the Bail Applications of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam Tomorrow?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Supreme Court is set to review bail pleas.
- Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are central figures in the case.
- Charges involve the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
- The case stems from the February 2020 Delhi riots.
- Allegations include orchestrating a larger conspiracy.
New Delhi, Sep 11 (NationPress) The Supreme Court is set to review the bail applications of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and two additional individuals implicated in the alleged "larger conspiracy" concerning the 2020 Delhi riots on Friday.
According to the causelist on the Supreme Court's official website, a panel comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran will examine the special leave petition (SLP) submitted by Meeran Haider, while another bench led by Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria will address the bail requests from Khalid, Imam, and Gulfisha Fatima on September 12.
These individuals are charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other legal provisions, contesting the Delhi High Court's decision that denied their bail petitions.
In its ruling on September 2, the Delhi High Court indicated that there existed, prima facie, substantial evidence suggesting that both Imam and Khalid orchestrated the conspiracy.
A bench comprising Justices Shalinder Kaur and Navin Chawla highlighted that Khalid and Imam delivered incendiary speeches on February 24, 2020, coinciding with the visit of then US President Donald Trump. The prosecution asserted that the timing was intentional to incite riots on February 23 and 24, thereby attracting global attention.
"The purported inflammatory and provocative speeches presented by the appellants, when evaluated as a whole, prima facie denote their involvement in the claimed conspiracy," remarked the Delhi High Court.
Regarding Meeran Haider, the court noted her alleged role in funding the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI), which hosted meetings of the JMI Coordination Committee (JCC).
The bench led by Justice Kaur further observed that the prosecution's assertion that the conclusion of the investigation against Haider did not reflect a significant change in circumstances to warrant bail, given the ongoing witness testimonies and the severity of the alleged conspiracy.
Moreover, the prosecution indicated that Gulfisha Fatima utilized coded language to direct protesters to execute actions aligned with the alleged conspiracy and received financial support for these activities.
The February 2020 Delhi riots, which erupted during demonstrations against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), resulted in 53 fatalities and over 700 injuries.