The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding the bail plea filed by student activist Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots.A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan sought the police's response and fixed August 27 as the next hearing date.Sharjeel, through his lawyer, challenged the trial court's July 4 order that denied bail, arguing that the trial had made no progress.

The trial court cited the Supreme Court's January ruling in the Gulfisha Fatima case, which questioned the earlier judgment, and stated it could not consider the fresh application until a larger bench resolved the issue.The police opposed the bail plea, stating the trial court had already considered delays in the case.

The Delhi Police arrested Sharjeel on January 28, 2020, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), alleging he was an intellectual architect of the riots.The riots erupted on February 23, 2020, following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, resulting in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries.The court's decision highlights ongoing legal debates about bail eligibility in prolonged cases under UAPA.