Top Indian court to rule on bail of Sharjeel Imam, others activists tomorrow
Prolonged incarceration under black law draws rights concerns
New Delhi: The Indian Supreme Court is set to pronounce on M onday its verdict on the bail pleas of seven accused, including student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in the so-called “larger conspiracy” case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, a case widely criticised as emblematic of India’s misuse of draconian laws to silence dissent.
According to Kashmir Media Service, a Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B. Varale will deliver the judgment on January 5, as per the cause list published on the Apex Court’s website.
The bail pleas have been filed by Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Shadab Ahmed and Mohammad Saleem Khan, all of whom have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and have remained behind bars for over five years without conviction.
Earlier, on December 10, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on a batch of special leave petitions challenging the Delhi High Court’s refusal to grant bail to the accused. The top court had also directed both the petitioners and the prosecution to file additional documents by December 18 in support of their submissions.
The Delhi High Court, on September 2 last year, had dismissed the bail pleas of Khalid, Imam and others, claiming that a prima facie case under the UAPA was made out against them—a stance strongly contested by legal experts and human rights defenders.
Observers say the prolonged incarceration of the accused without trial underscores how the UAPA has been turned into a tool of punishment rather than justice, allowing the Indian state to jail critics, activists and minorities for years on vague allegations. KMS-3K
