2020 Delhi Riots Accused Sharjeel Imam Granted 10-Day Interim Bail To Attend Brother's Wedding

A Delhi court has granted 10-day interim bail to student activist Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case. The temporary relief allows him to attend his brother’s wedding and care for his ailing mother. Earlier in January 2026, the Supreme Court refused regular bail to Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid. 

A Delhi court has granted 10-day interim bail to former JNU scholar Sharjeel Imam, who is one of the accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case. The court allowed him temporary bail so that he can attend his brother’s wedding and also take care of his ailing mother. The bail is limited to a short period and will allow Imam to be with his family during the wedding. After the period ends, he is expected to return as per the court’s directions.

Sharjeel Imam has been in custody in connection with the larger case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020. He was granted relief by Karkardooma Courts' Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai.

Top Court earlier refused regular bail

The latest decision comes months after the Supreme Court of India refused to grant regular bail to Imam and co-accused Umar Khalid in the same case. In January 2026, a bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice NV Anjaria considered their bail requests but decided not to grant them relief at that time.

The judges observed that the prosecution had placed sufficient material on record which, according to them, showed a prima facie case suggesting the involvement of the accused in the alleged conspiracy.

Because of this observation, the Supreme Court declined their request for regular bail.

Sharjeel Imam among several accused in conspiracy case

Sharjeel Imam is one of several individuals named in the case connected to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The case is being investigated by the Delhi Police, which has claimed that the violence was not sudden but part of a pre-planned and well-organised conspiracy.

According to the police investigation, the alleged plan aimed to disturb public order during protests that were taking place against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) at that time.

The police have filed cases against several people under various sections of the law in connection with the incident.

The 2020 northeast Delhi riots

The riots took place in parts of northeast Delhi in February 2020 and were among the most serious incidents of communal violence in the national capital in recent years.

During the violence, 53 people were killed and more than 700 people were injured, according to official figures. Several neighbourhoods saw clashes, damage to property and large-scale unrest over multiple days.

Following the violence, law enforcement agencies launched investigations into what led to the riots and who was responsible for organising or encouraging them.

The Delhi Police continue to investigate the case and have maintained that the riots were the result of a planned conspiracy connected to the protests against the CAA. Multiple charge sheets have been filed in the case, and court proceedings related to the accused individuals are still ongoing.

The case has drawn widespread public attention over the years because of the scale of the violence and the number of people involved in the investigation.