New Delhi: Delhi High Court Monday posted for Sept 30 the bail pleas by activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case under anti-terror law UAPA over the alleged larger conspiracy behind the Feb 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.
Khalid and Imam had moved high court earlier this year after their bail applications were dismissed by the trial court for the third time on July 4. Imam was arrested in the case on Aug 25, 2020, and Khalid on Sept 13, 2020.
Delhi Police has opposed the petitions, claiming that the two were “masterminds” of the riots. Arguing that they cannot seek bail on parity with other co-accused in the case, police have argued that Supreme Court earlier categorised them as being “command authority” and ruled that their “risk profiles” justified “continuing detention”. On July 4, the trial court rejected Khalid’s bail application, saying it had “no option but to follow” Supreme Court’s Jan 5 order and, therefore, could neither entertain the plea nor grant him relief.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt deferred the hearing after the Delhi Police counsel sought an adjournment on the ground that additional solicitor general SV Raju was unavailable for health reasons. Activist Khalid Saifi and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain , among others, were also booked for alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy case, being investigated by Delhi Police’s special cell. The court Monday also deferred the hearing of Hussain’s bail plea to Nov.