The story so far: The Supreme Court on January 5 declined to grant bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, notwithstanding their incarceration for nearly six years without the commencement of trial. The court held that the constitutional guarantee of personal liberty is not “absolute”, and remains subject to the stringent bail regime prescribed under special statutes such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court held that prosecutorial evidence placed Mr. Khalid and Mr. Imam on a “qualitatively different footing” from the other accused, warranting a distinct assessment of the “hierarchy of participation”. Hierarchy of roles: The Hindu editorial on no bail for Umar KhalidBy contrast, the court held that the five accused granted bail were “local-level facilitators”, whose alleged roles were confined to logistical arrangements at protest sites. Each was directed to execute a personal bond of ₹2,00,000 with two local sureties and are restrained from leaving the national capital without prior permission of the trial court.

Source: The Hindu January 10, 2026 23:22 UTC