On Monday, October 27, 2025, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail applications of prominent activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider. These individuals are implicated in a case filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), stemming from an alleged conspiracy related to the severe Delhi riots of February 2020.
A Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria is expected to preside over the proceedings. The nation’s highest court previously issued a notice to the Delhi Police on September 22, requesting their detailed response on the matter.
The activists have brought their challenge to the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court issued an order on September 2, denying bail to nine individuals, including Khalid and Imam. The High Court’s ruling underscored that ‘conspiratorial violence’ carried out under the guise of public demonstrations or protests would not be permitted.
Among those whose bail applications were rejected by the High Court, in addition to Khalid and Imam, were Fatima, Haider, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, and Shadab Ahmed. Separately, the bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was also turned down by a different High Court bench on the same date.
The High Court acknowledged that the Constitution grants citizens the fundamental right to protest, demonstrate, and engage in agitations, provided these actions remain orderly, peaceful, unarmed, and strictly within legal boundaries. However, it also emphasized that this right is not absolute and is subject to reasonable restrictions. The court warned that allowing an ‘unfettered right to protest’ could destabilize the constitutional framework and negatively impact the country’s law and order situation, as stated in the bail rejection order.
Khalid, Imam, and their co-accused face charges under the UAPA and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, with allegations portraying them as the ‘masterminds’ behind the February 2020 riots. These tragic events resulted in 53 fatalities and over 700 injuries. The violence originally erupted amidst widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.
All accused individuals have consistently denied these allegations and have been incarcerated since 2020. Their appeal to the High Court followed the rejection of their initial bail pleas by a trial court.