Umar Khalid is not my mentor, Sharjeel Imam tells Delhi court

Umar Khalid is not his mentor and police allegations that the duo coordinated the 2020 riots are false, activist Sharjeel Imam told a Delhi court on Thursday, January 8, 2026.

Both Imam and Mr Khalid were denied bail by the Supreme Court this week in the case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 riots in New Delhi.

The presentations were made by Mr. Imam’s lawyer Talib Mustafa before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts. Talib Mustafa emphasized that his client and Mr. Halid have no connection with each other.

Mr. Imam’s lawyer said on his behalf that he had never spoken to Mr. Khalid during his five years at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

“I don’t know what the coordinating police are talking about,” he said, rejecting the police’s claim that Mr Khalid had given instructions to Imam Imam.

The presentations were made during the hearing of the framing of charges in the larger conspiracy case of North East Delhi riots-2020, in which 18 people were charged by the police and booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) among various other charges.

Other accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Devangana Kalita, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.

On Monday, January 5, the Supreme Court granted bail to the five accused in this case. However, the top court denied bail to Mr Imam and Mr Khalid, stating that their roles were “central and formative” in planning the violence that killed more than 50 people and injured scores more.