The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an early hearing to student activist Sharjeel Imam on his plea seeking bail in a case registered against him under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 communal riots.
Mr. Imam, who has been in jail for the past four and a half-years, said his plea has been listed for hearing at least 62 times before seven different division Benches of the High Court and that the trial in the present matter has been pending before the special court since 2020 even as the investigation has not been concluded and charges are yet to be framed.
The court said since the matter was already listed for final hearing on October 7, there was no ground to advance the date.
Mr. Imam, Umar Khalid and several others were booked under UAPA and several provisions of the IPC for being the “masterminds” of the communal flare-up, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
Published - September 05, 2024 01:37 am IST
