“Shocking, Shameful”: Prashant Bhushan on denial of bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
New Delhi: Senior Supreme Court advocate Prashant Bhushan on Monday criticised the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case, calling the order “shocking, unfair and unjust”.
In a post on X, Bhushan said the two activists have not been accused of committing violence themselves but are facing charges of conspiracy under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He pointed out that both Khalid and Imam have spent nearly five years in jail without trial, despite there being multiple videos of their speeches in which, according to him, they speak against violence.
Bhushan also questioned the court’s reliance on police statements of “protected witnesses”, whose identities have been concealed. “Yet the Supreme Court denies bail on the basis of police statements of protected witnesses. Shameful, and makes a mockery of the right to life and liberty,” he said in his post.
The remarks came after the Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to Khalid and Imam, observing that a prima facie case under the UAPA is made out against them. A bench of the apex court said it was satisfied that the prosecution material disclosed sufficient grounds at this stage and that statutory restrictions on bail under the UAPA applied. The court noted that granting bail would not be appropriate at this point in the proceedings.
The case relates to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 communal violence in northeast Delhi, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Khalid, Imam and several others have been charged under the UAPA and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being “masterminds” of the riots, which broke out during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.
While denying bail to Khalid and Imam, the Supreme Court granted bail to five other accused in the same case, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed. The bench clarified that bail decisions cannot be based on a uniform standard and must take into account the individual role and level of alleged involvement of each accused. It also observed that Article 21 of the Constitution requires the state to justify prolonged pre-trial detention.
Following the ruling, Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri said the activist was relieved that some of the co-accused had secured bail, even though his own plea had been rejected. Khalid and Imam were arrested in 2020 and have remained in judicial custody since then, with their bail pleas having been rejected earlier by the Delhi High Court as well.
It is totally shocking, unfair & unjust for the SC to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjil Imam. They have not been accused of violence themselves, but of Conspiracy. There are multiple videos of their speeches, where they speak against violence.
— Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) January 5, 2026
They have spent 5 years in Jail…
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Experience comes when you play bigger teams in bilateral series: Rashid Khan
Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.
Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.
However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.
"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.
The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.
"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.
With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.
"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."
Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.
"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.
"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."
