The Delhi High Court addressed the 2020 Delhi riots case on Tuesday, denying bail to Tasleem Ahmed, an accused arrested under UAPA. The order was issued by a bench comprising Justices Subramaniam Prasad and Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar. Separately, the court also heard the bail applications of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam; the bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur dismissed their applications. Both are co-accused in the case.
Previously, on July 10th, the High Court had reserved its decision on the bail applications. During the hearings, the Delhi Police opposed the bail pleas.
The court had also reserved its judgment on the bail applications of other accused, including Mohammad Salim Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima. The prosecution strongly opposed the bail applications, arguing that the case was not merely about riots but a pre-planned conspiracy with a sinister motive.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the prosecution, argued that the riots were a conspiracy to defame India globally and that prolonged imprisonment alone could not be grounds for bail. He stated that if one acts against their country, they should remain in jail until acquitted.
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several other defendants have been charged under UAPA and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly masterminding the February 2020 riots.
The riots resulted in 53 fatalities and over 700 injuries. The violence erupted during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The bail applications of Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, and other defendants have been pending in the High Court since 2022 and have been heard by various benches from time to time.