The Supreme Court is scheduled on January 5 to pronounce judgment in the bail pleas of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader, Umar Khalid, and other accused persons in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case related to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 riots in the national capital.
A Bench headed by Justice Aravind Kumar had reserved its verdict in December 2025 on separate special leave petitions filed by the accused persons against a September 2 decision of the Delhi High Court denying them bail. The High Court had reasoned that “unfettered right to protest would damage the Constitutional framework and impinge upon the law-and-order situation in the country”.
Eight U.S. lawmakers pen letter in support of Umar Khalid; urge India to grant bail, fair trial ‘as per international law’
Besides Mr. Khalid, the other appellants include Gulfisha Fatima, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmed. They have sought bail chiefly on the ground of prolonged incarceration without trial for the past five years. Mr. Khalid, Mr. Imam and the others were accused of being the “masterminds” behind the riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. Violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
