Six Years In Custody, No Bail: Delhi HC Rejects Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam’s Pleas, Cites SC Order

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the fresh bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the alleged larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 North-East Delhi riots, saying it could not override specific directions issued by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt dismissed their appeals against the trial court’s July 4 order refusing bail. The High Court said it was bound by the Supreme Court’s January 5, 2026 judgment and the principle of judicial discipline.

The Supreme Court order is central to Wednesday’s decision. On January 5, the top court considered bail pleas by seven accused in FIR 59/2020. It granted conditional bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed, but denied bail to Khalid and Imam, holding that the material and roles attributed to them placed them differently in the alleged conspiracy.

For Khalid and Imam, however, the Supreme Court gave a specific window to seek bail again: they could approach the court after the protected prosecution witnesses were examined or after one year from January 5, 2026, whichever came earlier. It also directed that the witness examination and trial should proceed without unnecessary delay.

That condition became decisive today. The Delhi High Court said it could not modify the Supreme Court’s direction. The defence had argued that circumstances had changed because of the prolonged custody, slow trial and later Supreme Court developments concerning UAPA bail. It also cited interim bail granted to co-accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi.

The High Court rejected the parity argument, noting that the roles attributed to those accused were different. It also noted that arguments on framing of charges concluded on July 13, but charges have yet to be formally framed.

Khalid was arrested in September 2020 and Imam in August 2020. The case concerns the violence that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The prosecution alleges that Khalid and Imam were involved in the larger conspiracy; those allegations remain to be tested at trial.