The petitions challenge a Delhi High Court order that denied bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). SC to shortly hear bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, and Meeran Haider comes after five years of custody as undertrials.

Earlier, a Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur rejected bail for nine accused. The judges said the February 2020 riots were not “a regular protest” but a “well-orchestrated conspiracy.” The order stressed that violence under the guise of protest cannot be permitted.

Lawyers for the activists argue that the trial has faced long delays. They seek bail on grounds of parity with co-accused who already secured relief. Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and Asif Iqbal Tanha were granted bail in June 2021. Former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan was released in March 2022.

The Supreme Court’s verdict will be closely tracked. It could influence how future bail pleas under UAPA are handled.

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