Overview
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court the 2020 violence was a choreographed plot, not a spontaneous protest, citing speeches and WhatsApp chats as evidence.
- Additional Solicitor General S. V. Raju said charges under UAPA sections 13, 16 and 18 carry punishments ranging from a minimum of five years to life imprisonment.
- Police argued the current applicants cannot claim parity with Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha, noting the earlier High Court bails and the Supreme Court’s narrower 2023 review on cancellation.
- The government contended the accused themselves prolonged proceedings and said the trial could conclude within six months if they cooperate.
- The bench heard bail pleas from Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed, with the matter posted to continue on Thursday.