New Delhi, 19 September (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday prepared to listen to the bail arguments of former JNU students Omar Khalid and Sharjil Imam along with Meran Haider and Gulafisha Fatima in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy.
The case has been listed before a bench which includes Justices Arvind Kumar and NV Anjaria.
The hearing was initially scheduled for September 12, but was postponed on Friday after Justice Kumar informed the court that he found case files at 2:30 pm, leaving insufficient time for review. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Q Singh are representing the petitioners.
Bail applicants are facing allegations under the illegal activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) in a case related to the alleged major conspiracy behind the communal violence that rocked north-east Delhi in February 2020.
The Delhi High Court on September 2 denied bail to Imam, Khalid and seven other accused, including Meran Haider, Gulafish Fatima, Athar Khan, Shifa-ur-Reman, Mohammad Salim Khan, Shadab Ahmed and Khalid Saifi. Another accused, Taslim Ahmed, was denied bail by a separate bench.
The Delhi Police has strongly opposed the bail applications, claiming that the riots were not comfortable, but the result of a pre -determined and coordinated conspiracy. According to the police, the accused played an active role in orchestrating violence with “frightening motives”.
The High Court denied bail, saying that Omar Khalid and Sharjil Imam’s participation appeared “serious” on the Prima Facial Stage. This allegedly pointed to the speeches given by him, which, according to the court, were communal in nature and intended to gather a large crowd.
The 2020 violence exploded amid nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). As a result of unrest, 53 people died and more than 700 were injured. Sharjil Imam was arrested under UAPA in 2020 and was accused of playing a central role in inciting violence.
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Rupee/