The Supreme Court bench rejected a review petition for the January 5 order, which refused bail for Umar Khalid in connection with the Delhi riots case.
File photo of Umar Khalid (Image: PTI)
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition by Umar Khalid, seeking to review the January 5 order, which denied him bail in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, observing that there are reasonable grounds to believe the allegations levelled against him.
In an April 16 order uploaded today, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria observed that there is no ground to review its judgment.
“Prayer for oral hearing in the review petition is rejected. Delay condoned. Having gone through the review petition and also the documents enclosed, we do not find any good ground and reason to review the judgment dated 05.01.2026. Accordingly, the review petition is dismissed,” the bench said.
As per the Supreme Court’s rules, review petitions are considered by judges who delivered a judgment or passed an order to remedy an apparent error or a resultant grave injustice as a consequence of the top court’s decision.
Umar Khalid’s Case
On January 5, 2026, the Supreme Court refused bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. While the two remained in jail, activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad were given bail.
The court said the prosecution materials prima facie disclosed “a central and formative role” and “involvement in the level of planning, mobilisation and strategic direction extending beyond episodic and localised acts.” It said delay in trial does not operate as a “trump card” which automatically displaces statutory safeguards.
The top court also imposed an embargo on Khalid and Imam, stating that they can renew their bail applications only after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from January 5.
Umar Khalid was arrested in September 2020 by the Delhi Police in connection with the “larger conspiracy” charges in the 2020 Delhi riots case. Sharjeel Imam was arrested on January 28, 2020, in connection with alleged inflammatory speeches against the Citizenship (Amendment Act) (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The 2020 Northeast Delhi riots broke out on February 24, 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment Act) (CAA) and NRC. The violence lasted several days, resulting in at least 53 deaths and over 700 injuries.
April 20, 2026, 22:25 IST
Read More
