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Although Additional Solicitor General sought two week time but, the bench said it would hear the matter on Friday. Infact the bench commented, “Strictly speaking, there is no need to file a reply in bail matters.”
Supreme Court defers hearing on bail for 2020 Delhi riots accused
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has defered to 31 October the hearing on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider. They were allegedly involved in the Febraury 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy in Delhi case.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria adjourned the matter after Additional Solicitor General SV Raju sought time. Raju had requested the bench for more time to file a reply.
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Although Additional Solicitor General sought two week time but, the bench said it would hear the matter on Friday. Infact the bench commented, "Strictly speaking, there is no need to file a reply in bail matters."
The petitioners filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on September 2 against the Delhi High Court's rejection of their bail pleas. The matter was previously heard on September 22, when the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Delhi Police seeking a response.
The Delhi High Court had previously stated that deliberate violence by citizens in the name of demonstrations or protests cannot be tolerated.
In this case, in addition to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, the bail pleas of Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Mohammad Salim Khan, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Atar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Shadab Ahmed were also rejected. Tasleem Ahmed's plea was dismissed by a separate bench on September 2.
In its order, the court stated that the Constitution grants citizens the right to peaceful, orderly, and lawful protest, but this right is not unlimited. Granting this right in an unlimited manner could pose a threat to the constitutional framework and law and order.
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Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and other accused are accused of conspiring to incite the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, killing 53 people and injuring over 700.
All the accused have denied the charges and have been in jail since 2020. After being denied bail by the trial court, they approached the High Court and now the Supreme Court.
