SC issues notice on bail pleas of Khalid, Imam

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Delhi Police on the bail pleas of student activist Sharjeel Imam, former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Umar Khalid, and three others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

- Utkarsh Anand

A bench of justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria sought their responses by October 7, after the petitioners' lawyers pointed out that they hope to be out before Diwali this year after almost five years of pretrial incarceration.

At the outset, Justice Kumar apologised for not being able to take up the matter last Friday. He explained that the case could not proceed since the puisne judge of the bench, Justice Manmohan, had opted to recuse himself, citing his earlier association as an advocate in the chamber of senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who represents one of the petitioners.

Sibal appears for Khalid while senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi represents Gulfishan Fatima. Senior counsel Siddharth Dave represents Imam in the case.

Senior advocate Singhvi told the bench that the petitioners were students who had been behind bars for over five years, and urged the court to consider their interim bail plea. He also pointed out that a formal application had been filed seeking such relief.