With the inception of the new year, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others have completed nearly four years in custody for their alleged role in the February 2020 Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case. The Supreme Court will now deliver its verdict on the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case on January 5.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will pronounce the verdict on multiple pleas of the accused in the case. Notably the verdict arrived just days after a letter addressed to Umar Khalid by present day New York Mayor, Zohran Mamdani created much controversy on the internet and prompted a response from BJP ministers.
What did Zohran’s letter say?
The letter was shared on Instagram by Banojyotsna Lahiri, the partner of Umar Khalid on January 1, 2026 was quick to trigger a political row in India. The note, addressed “Dear Umar,” read as follows.
“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one’s self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” NYC Mayor elect wrote in his letter.
What happened during the last hearing ?
Khalid, Imam, Fatima, Meeran Haider and Shifa Ur Rehman have been booked under the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The 5 accused have been labelled as the ‘masterminds’ of the Anti CAA riots in the national capital by Delhi police which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
During the last hearing on December 10, the top court had reserved its verdict on separate pleas of the accused after hearing arguments from advocates for both sides.
Representing Delhi Police at the Supreme Court, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta as well as Additional Solicitor General S V Raju have maintained that the 2020 Delhi riots were not spontaneous, but an “orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed” attack on India’s sovereignty.
Police had said that Sharjeel Imam’s speeches can be attributed to other accused and can be used as evidence against them in the case. S V Raju had contended that all the participants are liable for each other’s acts in a conspiracy.
The additional solicitor general had argued that Khalid deliberately planned to leave Delhi before the riots as he wanted to deflect responsibility.
Appearing for the accused, senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra argued that the prosecution failed to establish any direct act of violence by the accused.
Representing Sharjeel Imam senior advocate Siddharth Dave had contended that he was arrested on January 28, 2020, which was before the communal violence rocked Northeast Delhi, for his speeches that alone cannot constitute the offence of “criminal conspiracy” in the riots case.
According to Section 16 of the UAPA, “Whoever commits a terrorist act shall, if such act has resulted in the death of any person, be punishable with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.”
The violence erupted during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The accused moved the apex court, challenging the Delhi High Court’s September 2 order denying them bail in the “larger conspiracy” case of the February 2020 riots.
