Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Mar 9: A Delhi court on Monday granted interim bail to student activist Sharjeel Imam, who faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. The bail, allowed for 10 days from March 20 to March 30 by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts, permits Imam to attend his brother’s wedding and care for his ailing mother.

Imam has been in custody for several years. He faces allegations that he, along with other student activists involved in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) during 2019–2020, orchestrated a planned mobilisation that escalated into the North-East Delhi riots in February 2020. Delhi Police maintain that the violence was premeditated, involving road blockades and coordinated protests intended to disrupt normal life and draw international attention during the visit of US President Donald Trump.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India had dismissed bail applications filed by Imam and Umar Khalid, stating that the cumulative prosecution material provided reasonable grounds to believe the accusations were prima facie true, thereby invoking the statutory bail restrictions under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA. The court emphasized that at the bail stage, it is only required to examine the plausibility of the prosecution’s version, not weigh competing evidence.

The apex court also clarified that Imam’s alleged role at the mobilisation and strategy stage of the protests is sufficient to establish conspiracy liability, and physical presence at the riot sites was not necessary. While noting the prolonged delay in trial proceedings, the Supreme Court stated that the appropriate remedy would be expediting the trial, rather than granting bail under the UAPA’s statutory restrictions.