Delhi Riots Hearing: No Change in Circumstances to Revisit Umar Khalid’s Bail Plea, Delhi Police Tells SC

On Tuesday (November 18, 2025), the Supreme Court heard the bail petitions of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case. Representing the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju contended that the violence was not a sudden outburst but a “pre-planned” event. They further argued that the accused had attempted to delay the trial by obstructing the framing of charges, and therefore their five-year period in custody as undertrials should not serve as grounds for granting bail. During an earlier hearing, senior advocate Sanjeev Luthera, appearing on behalf of Shadab Ahmad, maintained that organizing or taking part in protests is not a criminal act. Ahmad, arrested on April 6, 2020, was later booked under the UAPA.