New Delhi: A Delhi court on Saturday rejected the bail petitions of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
Delhi Police had opposed the bail pleas, which were filed on the ground that their continued incarceration without the commencement of trial violates their fundamental right to personal liberty.
Dismissing the bail pleas, Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts said that the judgment in the Gulfisha Fatima and Syed Iftikhar Andrabi case has already been referred to a larger bench, and unless the issue is settled, the court cannot consider the applications of Khalid and Imam on any ground, Live Law reported.
The Supreme Court had said that Imam and Khalid will be at liberty to renew their prayer for grant of bail only after the examination of protected witnesses is completed or upon expiry of one year from the date of the said order, whichever is earlier.
“Thus, following the said order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, this court cannot entertain the applications and grant bail to the applicants. In fact, the applications are not maintainable and they are hereby dismissed,” the judge said, according to Live Law report.
Activists Khalid and Imam were booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on allegations that they were the “masterminds” behind the 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.
