New Delhi: The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider in the Delhi riots case until September 22. The case relates to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, in which a larger conspiracy is alleged. The petitions challenge the Delhi High Court’s decision denying bail to these individuals.
On September 2, the Delhi High Court rejected the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and seven other accused—Mohammed Salim Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Gulfisha Fatima. Another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, also had his bail plea rejected by a different bench of the High Court. In its decision, the High Court stated that prima facie, Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid played a significant role in the conspiracy. The court believed that their inflammatory speeches incited the mob on communal lines, resulting in the riots.
Delhi Police claims: This was a well-planned conspiracy
The Delhi Police strongly opposed the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, and other accused in the Supreme Court. The police maintain that the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots were not a spontaneous outburst of violence, but rather a well-planned and dangerous conspiracy. The police identified Sharjeel Imam as the mastermind of this conspiracy and arrested him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The story of the 2020 riots
The riots that broke out in Northeast Delhi in February 2020 began during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The violence claimed the lives of 53 people and injured over 700. The incident shook the nation and has now resonated with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has postponed the bail plea hearings of accused Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider until September 22nd. The police claim that the riots were the result of a well-planned conspiracy and that Sharjeel Imam was the main mastermind.
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