Delhi riots 2020: Delhi High Court begins hearing bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid

New Delhi: The Delhi High Courton Friday began hearing the bail pleas of the JNU student leader Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam together. Last week the Delhi HC issued a notice to the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi over Sharjeel Imam's fresh appeal challenging a trial court order which denied him bail in connection with the North East Delhi violence matter. Notably, JNU student leader Umar Khalid also moved an appeal in the same case.

The Delhi HC noted that Imam and Khalid's appeal will be heard together on May 6 since both are charged in the same charge sheet of the same case. JNU students, Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid were allegedly linked to a case of 'larger conspiracy' behind the Delhi riots in 2020.

According to police, Imam allegedly delivered inflammatory speeches in Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi, on December 13, 2019, and Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, on January 16, 2020. On the other hand, Khalid's provocative speech at Amaravati during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act made him an accused in the riot case. A clash between anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and pro-CAA protesters in Northeast Delhi took a violent turn in February 2020 resulting in the deaths of 53 people.

First considering Sharjeel Imam's bail plea, the Delhi HC heard his lawyer who argued that Imam was granted bail by the Allahabad HC in a case registered in UP regarding the same speech and that the order was on record.

Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam's appeal

In his appeal, Sharjeel Imam had stated that the entire investigation was 'faulty' and the Special Trial Court failed to notice the same. The appeal, filed through Advocate Ahmed Ibrahim also stated that by the time violence broke out in Northeast Delhi, Imam was already in custody over two other FIRs registered against him at the Crime Branch and New Friends Colony. Therefore, no the appellant could not have participated in the covert acts suggested by the investigation agency in the charge sheet.

On the other hand, challenging the trial court order denying him bail in the said case, Umar Khalid stated in his appeal that the protest was peaceful and no provocative speeches inciting violence were made by the appellant.