The Supreme Court adjourned to September 19 the bail petitions of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and others in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case under UAPA.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday postponed hearing on the bail applications of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. A bench led by Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria noted that case records had been received too late and fixed the matter for September 19.

The appeals challenge a Delhi High Court order of September 2 which rejected bail to nine accused, including Khalid and Imam. The high court had held that violence cannot be disguised as protest and stressed that while Article 19 protects the right to peaceful assembly and speech, such rights are subject to reasonable restrictions.

Alongside Khalid, Imam and Fatima, the court had also denied relief to Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed. Another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, had his bail rejected separately the same day.

All the accused face charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the IPC, with investigators alleging they were part of a larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots that killed 53 people and injured over 700 during protests against the CAA and NRC. The accused have consistently denied the allegations and have remained in custody since 2020.

The repeated adjournments highlight how prolonged trials under UAPA keep accused behind bars for years without bail, raising debates on civil liberties versus national security. For Delhi, the case remains a reminder of the fragile balance between protest rights and law-and-order concerns