The Supreme Court Monday granted bail to five accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case, while refusing relief to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, holding that they stood on a “qualitatively different footing” under the UAPA.
The Court said that while prolonged incarceration raises serious Article 21 concerns, delay “does not operate as a trump card” to override the statutory embargo under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA. Emphasising an accused-specific assessment, the Bench held that the record disclosed a prima facie “central and formative role” for Khalid and Imam.
At the same time, it found that continued custody of the remaining five accused was “not shown to be indispensable to the conduct of a fair trial”, clarifying that their release “does not reflect any dilution of the seriousness of the allegations nor does it amount to a finding on guilt”.
It described the grant of bail as a “calibrated exercise of constitutional discretion” subject to stringent conditions.
Here are the five and their role as described by the prosecution:
Gulfisha Fatima
An MBA graduate and a Delhi resident, Fatima was the sole woman accused in the “larger conspiracy” case who remained in custody for an extended period.
She was first arrested in an FIR registered at Jaffrabad police station for offences including murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and sedition, and was granted bail in that case on May 13, 2020. However, a separate case registered by the Special Cell under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act continued.
According to the prosecution, she was associated with the Muslim Students of Jamia (MSJ) and involved in organising protests against the CAA, including participation in “core committee” meetings where issues such as protest planning, coordination with other groups, organising “mashal juloos” and dissemination of pamphlets were discussed.
According to the prosecution, on February 23, 2020, Gulfisha and other co-accused allegedly mobilised around 300 women from Seelampur and Jafrabad, leading them to block the road near Jafrabad Metro Station and inciting them to confront the police using chilli powder, stones and sticks.
Shifa Ur Rehman and Meeran Haider
Haider was 29 years old at the time of his arrest on April 1, 2020. He is from Bihar and was a student at Jamia Millia Islamia. He had previously served as the Delhi state president of the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s youth wing.
Rehman, a resident of Sathla village in UP’s Meerut, moved to Delhi with his family at a young age. He completed a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1999 and a Master of Commerce degree in 2001 from Jamia Millia Islamia. At the time of his arrest on April 26, 2020, he was serving as the president of the Alumni Association of Jamia Millia Islamia (AAJMI).
The prosecution alleged that both played active roles in executing the alleged conspiracy by acting as key fundraisers for protest sites and for events that followed in Northeast Delhi. They were accused of managing and sustaining “chakka jams” at multiple locations, in furtherance of what the police described as a larger conspiracy involving co-accused Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid.
According to the chargesheet, between December 1, 2019 and February 26, 2020, an amount of Rs 1.60 crore was received by co-accused persons, including Rehman and Haider, through bank transfers and cash.
Prosecution alleged that Shifa Ur Rehman played an active role in executing the alleged conspiracy by acting as a key fundraiser for the protest sites. (Source: Special Arrangement)
Rehman was further accused of misusing his position in AAJMI to finance the alleged riots to the extent of Rs 8.90 lakh.
Haider, according to the prosecution, received funds from several individuals, including protected witnesses, through both cash and bank transfers.
Mohd. Saleem Khan
Khan, now in his early 50s, is a resident of East Delhi’s Chand Bagh. He ran a garment export business and was the president of ‘The Care Society’, a registered organisation working in the fields of education and health.
Khan was the sole earning member of a family that included his wife, three children and a widowed sister. In 2025, he approached the Delhi High Court seeking interim bail to arrange funds to pay the college fees of his daughter, who was enrolled at the School of Law (HILSR), Jamia Hamdard. He informed the court that he intended to sell his remaining garment stock, valued at Rs 16.55 lakh, to meet the expenses.
Saleem Khan was accused of delivering speeches from the protest stage that allegedly instigated members of the Muslim community by claiming that new laws would strip them of their citizenship. (Source: Special Arrangement)
According to the prosecution, Khan was one of the main organisers at the Chand Bagh anti-CAA protest site and was described as a “person of responsibility” there. He was accused of delivering speeches from the protest stage that allegedly instigated members of the Muslim community by claiming that new laws would strip them of their citizenship.
A key piece of evidence cited against Khan was CCTV footage from February 24, 2020, which the prosecution claimed showed him using a wiper to dislodge or damage a camera, allegedly to conceal evidence of an assault on police personnel.
Shadab Ahmed
Ahmed, in his early 30s, is a resident of Delhi’s Jagatpuri. A Computer Science graduate, he hails from UP’s Bijnor and had been working as a supervisor at NDS Enterprises, a home cleaning equipment and supplies manufacturer, for four years before his arrest.
He was identified by the prosecution as a volunteer and a “person of responsibility” at the Chand Bagh protest site. His primary involvement at the site included stage management and organising the local campaign.
Shadab Ahmed was identified by the prosecution as a volunteer and a “person of responsibility” at the Chand Bagh protest site. (Source: Special Arrangement)
The prosecution alleged that Ahmed played a vital role in orchestrating the riots by organising the protest and leading it toward a disruptive chakka jam intended to paralyse Delhi. He is also accused of allegedly delivering inflammatory and provocative speeches to incite the Muslim community against the government.
Gulfisha Fatima (left), an MBA and a Delhi resident, and Meeran Haider, a student at Jamia Millia Islamia, were arrested in connection with the “larger conspiracy case” related to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. (Source: File) 
Prosecution alleged that Shifa Ur Rehman played an active role in executing the alleged conspiracy by acting as a key fundraiser for the protest sites. (Source: Special Arrangement)
Saleem Khan was accused of delivering speeches from the protest stage that allegedly instigated members of the Muslim community by claiming that new laws would strip them of their citizenship. (Source: Special Arrangement)
Shadab Ahmed was identified by the prosecution as a volunteer and a “person of responsibility” at the Chand Bagh protest site. (Source: Special Arrangement)
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