Days after Mamdani's letter, SC verdict on Umar Khalid's bail on Jan 5

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on January 5 on the bail pleas of jailed activist Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the February 2020 Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case, days after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote to Khalid and a group of US lawmakers separately urged that he be granted bail and a “fair, timely trial”.

A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria will deliver the verdict.

Mamdani’s handwritten note to Khalid, recalling his words on “bitterness” and the need to not let it consume oneself, was posted on X by Khalid’s partner Banojyotsna Lahiri. The note said Mamdani had met Khalid’s parents and that “we are all thinking of you”.

The note drew a sharp political response in India, with the BJP accusing Mamdani of “interfering” in India’s internal matters and asserting that India will not tolerate any such effort. BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned Mamdani’s locus standi and said Indians have “complete faith” in the country’s judiciary.

Separately, a group of US lawmakers has written to India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, urging that Khalid be granted bail and a “fair, timely trial in accordance with international law”. US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin are among eight lawmakers who expressed concern over the “prolonged pre-trial detention” of those charged in connection with the February 2020 violence, including Khalid.

The lawmakers said the US-India partnership is rooted in democratic values, constitutional governance and people-to-people ties, and argued that as the world’s largest democracies, both countries have an interest in protecting freedom, rule of law, human rights and pluralism. They claimed that human rights organisations, legal experts and global media have raised questions about the fairness of the investigation and legal process linked to Khalid’s detention.

The lawmakers also noted that the matter is presently under consideration before the Supreme Court of India and said they welcomed news that Khalid received temporary bail to attend his sister’s wedding. They urged that he be released on bail for the duration of the court proceedings and sought details of steps being taken to ensure the proceedings meet international standards.

The apex court reserved its verdict on December 10 after hearing separate pleas filed by the accused. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju appeared for the Delhi Police. Senior advocates Kapil Sibal, Abhishek Singhvi, Siddhartha Dave, Salman Khurshid and Sidharth Luthra appeared for the accused.

Khalid, Imam and others have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the erstwhile IPC. Police have alleged they were among the “masterminds” of the riots conspiracy case. The February 2020 violence left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured in northeast Delhi and erupted amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The accused moved the Supreme Court challenging a Delhi High Court order dated September 2 that denied them bail in the “larger conspiracy” case.