Delhi court denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam in Delhi riots conspiracy case

A Delhi court on Saturday dismissed the fresh bail applications filed by Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.

Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai passed the order.

The Court observed that it was bound by the Supreme Court's earlier order of January 2026 rejecting Khalid's and Imam's bail pleas earlier this year.

"Importantly, this Court has no option but to follow the judgment dated 05.01.2026, as passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, whereby the petitions of both the applicants were dismissed," noted the Court.

It further clarified that the Supreme Court's order had laid down specific conditions governing when they could seek bail again, leaving the trial court with no scope to entertain the present applications.

"In the said judgment, the Hon'ble Supreme Court, while dismissing the pleas of the applicants opined that only on the completion of the examination of the protected witnesses as relied upon by the prosecution, or upon the expiry of a period of one year from the date of said order, whichever is earlier, the applicants would be at liberty to renew their prayer for grant of bail before the jurisdictional Court. Thus, following the said order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, this Court cannot entertain the applications and grant bail to the applicants," explained the Court.

Dismissing the pleas, the Court concluded,

"Infact the applications are not maintainable and they are hereby dismissed."

Imam and Khalid moved the sessions court for bail after a Supreme Court bench recently questioned the denial of bail to the duo in January 2026 by another bench of apex court.

Their application highlighted that despite the passage of more than 6 months since the Supreme Court’s judgment denying them bail, there has been no meaningful progress in the trial proceedings, with arguments on charge still remaining incomplete.

They argued that they have been in jail for nearly 6 years in the case.

Senior Advocate Trideep Pais appeared for Umar Khalid and argued that after the Supreme Court's verdict in the Andrabi case (where the rationale for denying bail to Khalid and Imam were questioned), Khalid is entitled to bail.

Pais added that the court's embargo that Khalid and Imam cannot apply for fresh bail for a year or till the time witnesses are examined also doesn't apply.

Advocate Talib Mustafa appeared for Sharjeel Imam and argued that whether such an embargo about not filing for bail for a year can be imposed is also to be considered by a larger bench of the Supreme Court.

He added that some other accused in the case have got the benefit of the reference of the matter to a larger bench.

The counsel appearing for the Delhi Police stated that till the time clarity is given by a larger bench, the findings or the directions or the embargo by the Supreme Court remains binding.

"If they are aggrieved, if they have any issue, they could have very well approached the SC and sought clarifications. The appropriate forum was Hon’ble Supreme Court. Once the SC passed the judgement this court cannot...," the counsel added.

The State was represented by Special Public Prosecutors Madhukar Pandey and Anirudh Mishra, along with advocates Ayodhya Prasad, Sulabh Gupta, Saravjet Singh, Ishika Singh and Ananya Bose.

Senior Advocate Trideep Pais along with advocates Sahil Ghai, Sanya Kumar, Sakshi Jain, Saloni Ambastha and Loveleen Kukreja, appeared for Umar Khalid.

[Read Order]