Supreme Court to Revisit Delhi Riots Bail Denial

The Supreme Court has decided to revisit a plea challenging the denial of bail to Abdul Khalid Saifi, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The appeal challenges the Delhi High Court's refusal to grant bail, a decision made last year on September 2.

A bench composed of Justices Aravind Kumar and Prasanna B Varale issued a notice to the Delhi Police to respond to Saifi's plea. During the hearing, the top court clarified that Saifi cannot claim bail parity with a previous verdict where five co-accused were granted bail. The court emphasized that each accused's circumstance warranted individual assessment.

The plea has been tagged with another pending petition from a separate accused also denied bail. The 2020 Delhi riots, which erupted amidst anti-CAA and NRC protests, resulted in 53 deaths and more than 700 injuries. Despite allegations under severe charges, Saifi and others have denied the accusations.