Delhi court grants 10-day interim bail to Sharjeel Imam in 2020 Delhi riots case to attend brother's wedding

Activist Sharjeel Imam received a 10-day interim bail from a Delhi court in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

Updated on: Mar 9, 2026, 17:01:25 IST

Written by Yamini C S

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Activist Sharjeel Imam, who is lodged in Tihar Jail for 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case, was granted a 10-day interim bail by a Delhi court to attend his brother’s wedding and take care of his ailing mother.

Sharjeel Imam was charged under section 15A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) along with fellow activist Umar Khalid. (Amal KS/ Hindustan Times)

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing the interim bail plea filed by Sharjeel Imam, which sought six weeks relief. In this light, the court granted him interim bail from March 20 to 30, news agency PTI reported.

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Imam was arrested along with fellow activist Umar Khalid under Section 15A of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after being accused of instigating the riots in Delhi in 2020. Imam was granted interim bail more than two months after five others accused in the case.

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Both Khalid and Imam were denied bail by the Supreme Court earlier this year, shortly after which, Imam’s lawyers said he had withdrawn from the anti-CAA protests in Delhi before the Delhi Assembly elections, fearing the peaceful agitation was turning violent. His counsel told the court that even the prosecution claims Imam had left the protests by January, weeks before the February 2020 riots.

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The defence also argued there is no call record or evidence of meetings linking Imam with Umar Khalid, and that he was not part of WhatsApp groups allegedly used to coordinate road blockades. Instead, he had created a separate group of Jamia students for peaceful demonstrations.

Imam is among 17 accused in the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and hundreds injured. Eleven accused are currently out on bail (excluding Imam), and the case is at the stage of arguments on framing of charges, with 17 of the 18 accused having completed their submissions.

(With inputs from PTI)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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