New Delhi, July 17, 2026
Jailed student activist Sharjeel Imam has approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case, with his appeal scheduled to be heard on Friday.
As per the cause list published on the official website of the Delhi High Court, the matter is listed before a Division Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan.
Imam has challenged the order of the Karkardooma Court refusing him regular bail in the case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions.
Earlier this month, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai dismissed the regular bail pleas of Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid, saying that the trial court was bound by the Supreme Court’s January 5 order declining them bail and that their fresh applications were not maintainable.
The trial court had said that the apex court had made it clear that the two accused would be at liberty to renew their prayer for bail only after the examination of the protected witnesses relied upon by the prosecution or on the expiry of one year from its January 5 order, whichever was earlier.
“The Court has no option but to follow the judgment dated January 5, 2026, as passed by the Supreme Court, whereby the petitions of both the applicants were dismissed,” the trial court had said.
It further held that, in view of the Supreme Court’s directions, it could not entertain the fresh bail applications and grant relief to the applicants.
During the proceedings before the trial court, Imam had contended that there had been a change in circumstances after the Supreme Court’s January order refusing him bail.
He said that despite the passage of more than six months, there had been no meaningful progress in the trial, with arguments on framing of charges still continuing, while he had remained in custody for nearly six years.
Imam had also relied on subsequent Supreme Court developments, including the judgment in Syed Iftikhar Andrabi vs National Investigation Agency and the interim bail granted to co-accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi, to contend that prolonged incarceration warranted reconsideration of bail.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution said that the Supreme Court had already rejected Imam’s bail plea and that there was no substantial change in circumstances warranting reconsideration.
Accepting the submissions, the trial court held that the issue arising from the divergent Supreme Court judgments had already been referred to a larger Bench and, until it was settled, the present applications could not be considered.
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court dismissed the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, holding that the prosecution material disclosed prima facie grounds attracting the statutory embargo on grant of bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, while granting bail to five co-accused — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.
More recently, the apex court granted six months’ interim bail to co-accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi while referring to a larger Bench the question of whether prolonged incarceration and delay in trial can justify the grant of bail despite the restrictions under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA.
The case pertains to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
Imam is among several accused booked under the UAPA and other penal provisions.(Agency)
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