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

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought the police’s response to a bail plea filed by activist Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 riots conspiracy case, Bar and Bench reported.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan issued notice on Imam’s appeal challenging the trial court’s July 4 decision rejecting his second regular bail application. The court posted the case for hearing on August 27.

Imam, Umar Khalid and the other activists had been arrested between January 2020 and September 2020 in connection with the communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020 between supporters of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it. The violence had left 53 dead and hundreds injured. Most of those killed were Muslims.

The persons accused in the matter have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Arms Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The police have claimed that the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame the Narendra Modi government and was planned by those who organised the protests against the amended Citizenship Act.

During the hearing on Friday, the court questioned whether there had been any change in circumstances warranting the grant of bail.

Imam’s counsel, Talib Mustafa, argued that the...

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