"No charge sheet filed for last 5 years, still bail wasn't granted": Priyanka Chaturvedi after SC rejected bail of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

New Delhi [India], January 5 : Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Monday expressed concern over the Supreme Court's decision to reject the bail plea of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots case, asserting that these two were in jail for the past five years without knowing the charges against them.
This comes after the Supreme Court today denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case. However, the SC granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, and Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said there has been "no charge sheet" filed for 5 years, still bail wasn't granted to them.
Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said, "They have said that there is no such thing as personal liberty under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Now, charges have been framed under UAPA, but no charge sheet has been filed for 5 years. There is no charge sheet, bail was not granted, there was a hearing in the Supreme Court, some people got bail, but these two did not."
She added, "I hope that in this case, a charge sheet will be filed at the earliest and action will begin. These two have been in jail for the past five years without knowing the charges."
Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case pertaining to an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
The Court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" both in terms of prosecution and evidence.
It noted that their roles were "central" to the alleged offences. As regards these two, though the period of incarceration is continued and long it does not violate the Constitutional mandate or override the statutory embargo under the laws.
The SC bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria delivered the judgment on the bail pleas filed by Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.
Earlier on December 10, the apex court had reserved its verdict after hearing detailed arguments from all parties.
On September 2, 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected the bail plea of nine accused, including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in connection with the case, prompting the defendants to move to the Supreme Court.
The High Court had observed that, prima facie, the role of Imam and Khalid in the entire conspiracy was "grave", having delivered inflammatory speeches on communal lines to "instigate mass mobilisation of members of the Muslim community."
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested in January 2020 under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Delhi riots case in February 2020.
The violence had erupted during the protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.