The Supreme Court will hear the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima on September 12 in the UAPA case linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots. The Delhi High Court earlier denied bail, observing that conspiratorial violence under the guise of protests cannot be permitted, citing law-and-order concerns.
Representational Image. File Pic
The Supreme Court on September 12 is scheduled to hear bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima. The apex court will hear the bail pleas after failing to get the reprieve from the High Court in the UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in the national capital.
As reported by news agency PTI, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria is likely to hear the bail pleas of the activists, who have challenged the Delhi High Court order which was passed on September 2.
Earlier, the Delhi High Court denied bail to nine persons, including Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in the case. While denying the bail, the High Court said that "conspiratorial" violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens couldn't be allowed.
The 12 accused whose bail was denied by the High Court were Khalid, Imam, Fatima, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi and Shadab Ahmed, reported PTI.
Moreover, the bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was also rejected by a different High Court bench on September 2.
Also, the High Court said that the Constitution affords citizens the right to protest and carry out demonstrations or agitations, provided that they are orderly, peaceful and without arms, and such actions must be within the bounds of law.
While the High Court said the right to participate in peaceful protests and to make speeches in public meetings was said to have been protected under Article 19(1)(a) and couldn't be blatantly curtailed, it observed the right was "not absolute" and "subject to reasonable restrictions", reported PTI.
While rejecting the bail, the High Court stated, "If the exercise of an unfettered right to protest were permitted, it would damage the constitutional framework and impinge upon the law-and-order situation in the country," PTI reported.
Moreover, Khalid, Imam and the rest of the accused persons were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the IPC for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence erupted earlier during the protests against the CAA and NRC in which Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and Gulfisha were accused.
(With inputs from PTI)
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