Had full faith justice will be served: Kins of activists who got bail in Delhi riots case

New Delhi: The family members of activists who were granted bail by the Supreme Court in the 2020 riots conspiracy case expressed happiness and relief at the decision and voiced hope that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam will also be released from jail soon.

The apex court on Monday refused bail to activists Khalid and Imam but granted relief to five others, citing "hierarchy of participation" and saying all the accused in the case do not stand on the same footing. It said prosecution material suggests involvement of Khalid and Imam at the level of planning, mobilisation and strategic direction.

The top court, while granting relief to activists Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad, said it does not reflect a dilution of the seriousness of allegations or findings of guilt against them.

Shadab Ahmad's father, Shamshad Ahmad, said they had full faith in the judiciary.

"We believe in the Constitution and have full faith in the justice system. Our son has not done anything wrong. We had hope that he would secure bail. We knew that if not today, then tomorrow he will get bail," he told PTI over phone from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh.

The senior Ahmad said his son is lodged in Mandoli jail in northeast Delhi. While he was happy that their wait had paid off, he said they were hopeful about Khalid and Imam's bail also.

"Umar and Sharjeel are also our children. We are sad they have not been granted bail. They will also get bail sooner or later," he said.

He said that there is a wave of happiness in his family and they are eagerly waiting to meet Shadab,  who was arrested by the Delhi Police in April 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Shifa Ur Rehman's wife, Nureen Fatima, echoed similar sentiments and thanked the apex court for the decision.

"We had faith that we would get justice. We are sad for others (who did not get bail). Almighty willing, their families will also receive good news. I am really happy. God has blessed us with this huge happiness," she told PTI-Videos.

She said it has been nearly six years since her husband was incarcerated and called it a very "difficult and painful" phase.

"This time, I had hope that he would get bail. When I woke up the kids and told them, they were also happy. We hope that the families of those who did not get bail today also receive the same kind of happiness soon," she added.

Salim Khan's daughter Sayema told PTI that it is an emotional moment for her family as they had feared another rejection of bail plea.

"We will welcome him, but we are thinking of how we will cope with that moment when we will see him stepping out of jail. My father was arrested on March 11, 2020, and it has been nearly six years. We have faced multiple rejections and there is always a fear. We are waiting for the Supreme Court's written order," she told PTI over phone.

Khan is lodged in Mandoli Jail.

On the refusal of bail to Khalid and Imam, she said, "When the others were granted bail earlier, we were hopeful we would also receive the good news. We know the kind of pain one goes through. There is hope for them."

All seven accused were booked under the stringent anti-terror UAPA and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the riots that had erupted during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The accused had moved the apex court, challenging the Delhi High Court's September 2 order denying them bail.