"Satyamev Jayate": Shehzad Poonawalla after SC denies bail to Umar Khalid, Sharjeel; demands apology from Congress

Speaking to ANI, Poonawalla claimed that SC's observation shows that Delhi riots were not organic but "organised and sponsored."

"Today we would say Satyamev Jayate. The Supreme Court has denied bail to the poster boys of the "Tukde Tukde Gang", Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, whose role in the Delhi riots and charges against UAPA have been prima facie found to be true. It shows that the Delhi riots were not organic but organised, not spontaneous but sponsored. Unfortunately, the Congress Party continued to defend Sharjeel and Umar. These people who wanted to cut and dissect India into pieces. Today they must apologise...The Congress Party and its ecosystem must apologise today," he said.

The Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case about an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

However, the SC granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, and Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad.

The Court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" in both the prosecution and the evidence.

It noted that their roles were "central" to the alleged offences involving these two. However, their incarceration continues and is long as it does not violate the Constitutional mandate or override the statutory embargo under the laws.

The SC bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria delivered the judgment on the bail pleas filed by Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.

Earlier, the apex court had reserved its verdict on December 10 after hearing detailed arguments from all parties.

During the hearing of their bail pleas, the advocates who appeared for them mostly argued about the delay and the unlikelihood of the trial commencing. It was also stated to the court that they have been under custody for over five years in a case in which they are facing serious allegations of committing offences under the UAPA.

The contentions were also made that there is no proof of violence that they instigated the riots, even after five years have passed.

On the other hand, Delhi Police objected to the bail pleas, saying the alleged offences involved a deliberate attempt to destabilise the state. It argued that these were not spontaneous protests but a well-orchestrated "pan-India" conspiracy aiming at "regime change" and "economic strangulation".

The Delhi Police further submitted that the conspiracy was allegedly planned to coincide with the official visit of the then US President to India, with the intention of drawing international media attention and globalising the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The issue of the CAA was carefully chosen to serve as a "radicalising catalyst" camouflaged as "peaceful protest", it had said.

The violence had erupted during the protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. (ANI)