Shazil Imam, accused of riots in Delhi in the year 2020, has moved the Supreme Court on Saturday (August 6, 2025). The Imam was denied bail by the Delhi High Court. The case is related to the violence in North-East Delhi in February 2020 during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Citizen Register (NRC). The Imam is accused that he was a conspirator behind the riots.

Petition in Supreme Court
The Sharjil Imam has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. This petition has been filed challenging the order of the Delhi High Court, in which he was not granted bail. Along with this, the bail petitions of seven other accused have also been dismissed. A bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur dismissed the bail petitions of seven others including the Imam. According to the PTI report, the court reserved its verdict on the petitions filed in 2022, 2023 and 2024 on 9 July.

Whose bail petitions were rejected?
The Delhi High Court has rejected the bail petitions of Shajil Imam, Omar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, Athar Khan, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Mohammad Salim Khan, Shifa-ur-Raaman, Miran Haider and Shadab Ahmed. At the same time, the bench of Tasleem Ahmed’s bail yachtis Subramaniam Prasad and Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar rejected.

What did the prosecution claim
The prosecution said in the court that these riots did not happen suddenly, but they were already planned. He told that it was a “dangerous conspiracy” and it was done carefully. The Sharjil Imam, Omar Khalid and others have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). He is accused of being a “mastermind” of riots. These riots furious during the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Civil Register (NRC). 53 people died and more than 700 people were injured in this violence.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (September 2) gave a big blow to student activists Sharjil Imam, Omar Khalid and other accused in the case related to Delhi riots. The court dismissed the bail plea of ​​all the accused in the UAPA case related to Delhi riots in 2020.

A bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur reserved their verdict on 9 July after hearing the arguments of all the parties. Shaizil Imam and Omar Khalid along with Mohammad Salim Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Miran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Gulfisha Fatima reserved their verdict. The court dismissed everyone’s petition.

When was the arrest?

What is the allegation?

According to the news agency PTI, the prosecution strongly argued that it is not only a case of riots, but is a case where the riots were already made with a horrific motive and thought conspiracy.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that it was a conspiracy to discredit India globally and could not be the basis of only long imprisoned bail.

In the riots in February 2020, 53 people died and more than 700 people were injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Civil Register (NRC).

The bail petitions of the Sharjil Imam, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and other accused were pending in the High Court since 2022 and from time to time various benches heard them.

Sharjeel imam latest news: The accused in a case of riots in Delhi in February 2020, Shaziil Imam argued in the High Court on Thursday that he had no ‘relationship with the place, time and co-accused, including Omar Khalid. Imam’s lawyer urged the bench of Justice Naveen Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur to show ‘compassion’ while deciding on his bail plea.

The lawyer said that there was never any unrest in his speeches and conversations on WhatsApp. Imam’s lawyer said, ‘This boy has spent more than five consecutive years in custody. He (family) is the only one to earn. His old mother is ill and is not her father.

Imam did not participate in any ‘conspirator’ meeting- lawyer

The lawyer reiterated that he was not in the capital after 15 January 2020 and was arrested by the police on January 28, 2020 in a separate case from his hometown in Bihar. He argued that because of this the Imam did not participate in any ‘conspirator’ meeting with others.

The case of conspiracy of the prosecution is based on the messages exchanged among the accused. Imam’s lawyer refused to negotiate with him, saying that he was not in the alleged main WhatsApp group, where the flywheel jam was discussed. The lawyer said that there was no such message in the WhatsApp group which the Imam was part of the ‘going to incite violence from far away’.

The lawyer said, “Not a single message was shown to know that one community was raised against another community. A proof of violence, 40 evidence of non -violence demolish the prosecution case.” The lawyer argued that a witness alleged that he ‘belongs to Omar Khalid and some other accused’, but the Imam had no such relationship.

There was no violence after his speeches- a lawyer

The Imam’s lawyer said that his client is already under trial in matters related to treason and disgusting speech, in which he has got bail. He said that judicial decisions have found that there was no violence after his speeches. In the context of the police case, which stated that he raised the site of Shaheen Bagh demonstration, the lawyer argued that the Imam had separated himself from the site on January 2, 2020, that some mischievous elements could include there.

The lawyer says that the matter should not be ‘mixed’ with the violence in Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019. Omar Khalid, Imam and many others have been booked under the provisions of the illegal activities (prevention) Act (UAPA) and Indian Penal Code for the alleged ‘mastermind’ of the February 2020 riots. In these riots, 53 people were killed and more than 700 were injured. The matter will not be heard on 21 May.