Police say Delhi riots conspiracy planned through ‘inimical forces of neighbouring countries’, oppose bail of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

Tells High Court ‘conspiracy planned to be executed through inimical forces of neighbouring countries’.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 8, 2025 11:29 AM IST

Submitting that the offences which the accused are facing entail punishment up to life imprisonment, Sharma contended that the “question of parity will not come”.

Opposing the bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and six others accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, the prosecution Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that the “conspiracy was planned to be executed through inimical forces of neighbouring countries”.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma told the HC, “It is a case of clinical, pathological conspiracy planned and executed with diabolical and ruthless intentions.”

While concluding his arguments opposing the bail pleas of eight, Sharma added, “(the) conspiracy was planned to (be) executed through inimical forces of neighbouring countries.”

Also Read | When Umar Khalid came home

The accused are broadly seeking bail on grounds of delay in trial and parity with other accused in the case — student activists Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal — who were granted bail earlier.

Submitting that the offences which the accused are facing entail punishment up to life imprisonment, Sharma contended that the “question of parity will not come”. He also said the Supreme Court clarified that the grant of bail to them (Tanha, Narwal and Kalita) shall not be treated as a precedent.

The three were granted bail by a division bench of the Delhi HC in June 2021, which was then challenged by the Delhi Police before the SC. While dismissing the state’s appeal, the SC had recorded that it has not gone into the legal position with respect to the matter one way or another, adding that the HC’s judgment “shall not be treated as a precedent”.

Addressing the accused persons’ arguments on grounds of delay in trial, the prosecution said that the ground “may not be true across the board (for all eight accused seeking bail before the HC) since some appeals are coming for the first time.

Story continues below this ad

Khalid and Imam, along with others, are facing allegations of a pre-planned conspiracy to allegedly cause riots in Northeast Delhi between February 23 and 25, 2020. The accused have been booked for offences under the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Arms Act, and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and have been in jail for over four years now.

Sohini Ghosh

Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court Professional Profile Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express. Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare). Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others. She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020. With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles: High-Profile Case Coverage She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots. She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy. Signature Style Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system. X (Twitter): @thanda_ghosh ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Recommendations...

Jun 09: Latest News

Live Blog