The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned the hearing of bail pleas filed by student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Meeran Haider and Gulfisha Fatima in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case to 19 September.
The matter came up before a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice N.V. Anjaria. However, Justice Kumar said the bench would be unable to take up the case immediately. “The files of the supplementary list were received only at 2.30 in the night,” he remarked, while adjourning the proceedings.
Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and C.U. Singh appeared for Umar Khalid, Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented Gulfisha Fatima, and Siddharth Dave appeared for Sharjeel Imam. Other counsel were also present on behalf of the petitioners.
The activists are challenging the Delhi High Court’s order of 2 September, which had rejected their bail applications. That ruling was delivered by a division bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur.
The petitioners, all student leaders who were a part of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests of 2019–2020, have been accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Indian Penal Code of plotting the so-called “larger conspiracy” behind the communal violence in Delhi in February 2020.
