The Supreme Court, on Thursday (September 12), adjourned the hearing of bail petitions filed by former JNU scholar Umar Khalid, activist Sharjeel Imam, student leader Meeran Haider, and women’s rights activist Gulfisha Fatima in connection with the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, and fixed the matter for September 19.
The matter came up before a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria. At the outset, Justice Kumar noted that it would not be possible to take up the matters immediately as the supplementary list files in these cases were received by the Court only at 2:30 AM last night. Taking note of this, the bench decided to adjourn the proceedings to next week.
The petitioners are represented by a battery of senior lawyers: Kapil Sibal and CU Singh for Umar Khalid, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi for Gulfisha Fatima, and Siddharth Dave for Sharjeel Imam. Arguments on behalf of Meeran Haider are also expected from senior counsels.
The petitions have been filed challenging the Delhi High Court judgment dated September 2, by which a division bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur had dismissed their bail pleas. The High Court, while refusing to grant bail, had upheld the prosecution’s contention that the role of the accused was not limited to participation in protests but extended to the alleged orchestration of a “larger conspiracy” behind the communal violence in North-East Delhi in February 2020.
The accused—who were all prominent in organizing and mobilizing the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in 2019–2020—are facing serious charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), in addition to various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including conspiracy, rioting, and promoting enmity.
The prosecution’s case is that the riots, which broke out in the last week of February 2020 and claimed over 50 lives, were not spontaneous but the outcome of a carefully crafted plan to disturb public order and defame the government. The defense, on the other hand, has consistently maintained that the accused were only engaged in democratic dissent against the CAA and are being targeted for their political views.
Notably, all four petitioners have been in judicial custody for more than five years, awaiting trial. Their prolonged incarceration without bail has been repeatedly criticized by civil rights groups as a violation of personal liberty, especially since the trial is yet to conclude.
The outcome of these petitions is being closely watched, given the wider debate around the use of UAPA, the right to protest, and the criminalization of dissent.
Case Details:
• Umar Khalid v. State of NCT of Delhi | SLP(Crl) No. 14165/2025
• Gulfisha Fatima v. State (Govt. of NCT of Delhi) | SLP(Crl) No. 13988/2025
• Sharjeel Imam v. State NCT of Delhi | SLP(Crl) No. 14030/2025
• Meeran Haider v. State NCT of Delhi | SLP(Crl) No. 14132/2025
