SC to hear bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima today

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will on September 12 hear bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima in the UAPA case linked to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 Delhi riots.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will hear their challenge to the September 2 Delhi High Court order that denied bail to nine accused, including Khalid and Imam, saying “conspiratorial” violence under the guise of protest could not be allowed.

Others denied bail include Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed. A separate bench also rejected the bail plea of Tasleem Ahmed.

The high court said the right to protest under Article 19(1)(a) was protected but subject to reasonable restrictions.

Accused of masterminding the riots, the activists deny charges and have been

in jail since 2020.