Overview
- Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria held there is a prima facie UAPA case against Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, placing them at the top of a stated hierarchy of participation.
- The ruling interpreted Section 15 to potentially cover coordinated road blockades and systemic disruption of civic life as terrorist acts at the prima facie stage.
- The bench said prolonged incarceration and trial delay are not a trump card under Section 43D(5), while permitting Khalid and Imam to renew bail after key witnesses are examined or after one year.
- Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed were granted bail with strict terms including Rs 2 lakh bonds with two local sureties, passport surrender, restricted movement, reporting to the Crime Branch twice a week and no contact with witnesses or public commentary on the case.
- On Tuesday, several of the released co-accused submitted bonds at Karkardooma Court for verification as protests at JNU drew police attention to viral sloganeering and editorials debated the ruling’s implications for UAPA bail practice.