Delhi HC seeks police response to Sharjeel Imam's fresh plea for bail in Delhi riots case

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the response of the Delhi police on a bail plea by Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The Division Bench of Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Vikas Mahajan issued notice in the matter today. This the second round of bail litigation in Imam's case.

When the matter was heard this morning, the Court questioned if there is any change of circumstances warranting the grant of bail.

"Is there a factual development?" the Bench asked.

Imam's counsel, Advocate Talib Mustafa, indicated that the trial in the case had stagnated.

"Trial is still at the stage where it was 7 months back," he said.

The Court was also informed that the arguments on charge have gone on for more than two hundred days.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the government, said that a reply would be filed.

"What is the position of the protected witness?" the Court added.

"I don't think the trial has started," replied Raju.

The Court proceeded to issue notice returnable by two weeks in the matter.

The Court also recorded Imam's submission that charges are yet to be framed and that a substantial amount of time has gone by.

Further, it also noted that the Supreme Court had earlier granted Imam liberty to re-approach the courts for bail if the trial is delayed.

The matter is scheduled to be heard next on August 27.

The Delhi riots case stems from the communal violence that erupted in the national capital in 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA). Imam and several others who participated in the protests have been accused of conspiring to orchestrate the riots.

Imam was arrested in January 2020 and has been in jail since then.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court refused to grant him bail, holding that the material relied upon by the prosecution discloses a prima facie case against them under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Thereafter, in May, in another case, another Supreme Court bench opined that bail should be the rule and jail the exception even in UAPA cases. It also expressed serious reservations about the earlier judgment denying bail to Imam and Umar Khalid in the Delhi riots case

This prompted Imam to move the sessions court again for bail. However, on July 4, the sessions court denied bail to him. Following this Imam moved the High Court, challenging the sessions court's rejection of his bail plea.

Khalid had also moved a similar bail plea recently. However, his plea was also rejected alongside Imam's.

[Live Coverage]