Former JNU student Umar Khalid on Monday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court, seeking an open court hearing to challenge its January 5 order denying him bail in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case. The case relates to allegations that Khalid and others were part of a broader conspiracy behind the violence.
The plea, mentioned before a bench, seeks reconsideration of the earlier ruling and requests that the matter be heard in an open court. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, urged the court to allow a public hearing instead of the usual in-chamber consideration for review petitions.
The bench indicated it would examine the request and decide the course of the hearing. According to the cause list, the matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on April 15 (Wednesday). Khalid’s review plea challenges the Supreme Court’s order, which denied bail to him and co-accused Sharjeel Imam.
The court had then observed that the prosecution material disclosed a prima facie case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), citing their alleged “central and formative role” in the conspiracy.
The bench had held that the material on record indicated involvement in planning, mobilisation and strategic direction of the alleged conspiracy, going beyond localised or sporadic acts, and therefore did not justify granting bail at that stage.
At the same time, the court had granted bail to other accused in the case, including Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed, noting that Khalid and Imam, another JNU student, stood on a “qualitatively different footing”.
The court had also placed a restriction that Khalid and Imam could renew their bail pleas only after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from the January 5 order.
Khalid, who was arrested in September 2020, has been in jail since then. He faces charges including criminal conspiracy, rioting and offences under the UAPA in connection with the February 2020 violence in northeast Delhi, which erupted amid protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
According to police, the riots claimed 53 lives and left hundreds injured.
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Published By:
Prateek Chakraborty
Published On:
Apr 13, 2026 13:24 IST
