2020 Delhi riots case: Supreme Court issues notice to Delhi Police on Tasleem Ahmed’s bail plea

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (February 11, 2026) sought a response from Delhi Police on the bail plea of Tasleem Ahmed, accused in the February 2020 riots-related “larger conspiracy” case.

A Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and P.B. Varale issued notice on a plea filed by Ahmed challenging a Delhi High Court order.

The Delhi High Court (HC) on September 2, 2025 had dismissed Mr. Ahmed’s bail plea, saying “delay in trial” cannot be the sole ground for consideration.

It had said that except in cases of palpable violation of fundamental rights or breach of constitutional rights, bail cannot be granted on the sole factor of long incarceration or delay in trial.

The HC had also said that those accused who have secured bail in the case were delaying arguments on the charge “at the cost of those accused persons who are in prison”. Besides Mr. Ahmed, activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, and several others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots in Delhi, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence erupted during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).