2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case: Sharjeel Imam moves SC for bail

New Delhi: Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots case, moved Supreme Court on Saturday in an appeal against the denial of bail by the High Court in the five-year-old case, a lawyer said.

Sharjeel Imam has been charged under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions.

The February 2020 riots led to the death of 53 people and left 700 injured. The violence took place during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens (CAA-NRC).

The Delhi High Court had on Tuesday dismissed the bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid and several others accused in the 2020 city riots “larger conspiracy” case.

Pronouncing the decision, a Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur said, “All the appeals are dismissed.”

A copy of the detailed judgement is yet to be uploaded on the official website of the Delhi High Court.

In July this year, the Justice Chawla-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing the oral submissions advanced on behalf of the accused individuals and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police.

Opposing the bail pleas, Solicitor General Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, said that the long incarceration of the accused individuals should not be a ground for their release on bail pending trial since they were involved in a well-orchestrated criminal conspiracy to put the entire country to shame ahead of the visit of US President Donald Trump in 2020.

“If you (referring to accused persons) are doing something against the nation, then you’d better be in jail till you are acquitted or convicted,” he had submitted.

“It is not just a case of bail in regular riot cases, it is a very well thought and well-orchestrated criminal conspiracy which starts in the capital of the country, aiming at a particular day and time,” Mehta added.

The Solicitor General, referring to speeches made by Sharjeel Imam, had said that there was a plan to divide the nation based on a particular religion.

“Their intention was to divide the nation on religious lines. The intention was to cause national embarrassment at the global level,” he asserted.

During his arguments, Mehta referred to several global media posts relating to the Delhi riots and said that the accused were not protesting against a law but were planning something sinister.

He shared an earlier court order denying bail to Umar Khalid, where the entire episode was termed as a “terrorist act”.

“Please do not treat it as a mere riot case. It is a case of premeditated attack on the sovereignty of the nation by doing something in the national capital,” had concluded Mehta.

IANS