The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the review petition filed by activist Umar Khalid, refusing to reconsider its earlier decision denying him bail in the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. The court stated that there were no valid grounds to review its previous verdict and chose to uphold its earlier ruling. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria also rejected the plea seeking an oral hearing of the review petition.
Khalid had approached the apex court seeking a review after his bail plea was rejected earlier. At that time, the court had observed that there were reasonable grounds to believe the allegations against him regarding the alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 riots. Based on this assessment, bail was denied.
Earlier rulings and developments
Earlier this year on January 5, the apex court had also rejected the bail plea of another accused Sharjeel Imam. However, the court granted bail to five other accused and noting that all individuals involved in the case did not stand on equal footing.
The court had dismissed arguments citing delay in trial proceedings and clarified that Khalid and Imam, who have been in custody since 2020, could file fresh bail applications after the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from the date of the order.
Court observations on charges
The bench had earlier stated that a prima facie case exists against Khalid and Imam under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. It observed that prosecution material indicated their involvement in "conspiring, mobilising and giving strategic direction" in relation to the riots.
What is a review petition?
As per Supreme Court rules, a review petition is considered by the same judges who delivered the original verdict. Such petitions are examined in chambers and are meant to address any apparent error or serious injustice arising from the judgment. Parties may also request an open court hearing if they believe the decision has caused significant injustice.
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