The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed the third bail pleas of former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Umar Khalid and activist Sharjeel Imam in the case concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 North East Delhi riots, The Quint and India Today reported.

A division bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt rejected the pleas in the case registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other provisions of Indian law.

The High Court said it was bound by conditions laid down by the Supreme Court regarding the eligibility of the accused to seek bail. The court referred to the Supreme Court’s January 2026 order in the case, under which bail was granted to several other accused, including Gulfisha Fatima, while Khalid and Imam were denied bail.

According to the reports, the Supreme Court had permitted Khalid and Imam to renew their bail pleas after the completion of the examination of protected witnesses or after one year from the order, whichever came earlier.

The High Court also rejected an argument based on parity with accused Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi, who had received interim bail from the Supreme Court. The bench noted that their alleged roles in the case were distinct from those attributed to Khalid and Imam.

The latest pleas challenged a July 4, 2026, trial court order that had also refused bail, citing the Supreme Court’s directions as binding.

The High Court said it found no error in the trial court’s decision and that judicial discipline required it to follow the conditions set by the Supreme Court.

The case, registered as FIR 59 of 2020, concerns the alleged larger conspiracy behind the violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020. It is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell, with Khalid, Imam and several others facing charges under the UAPA and other provisions of Indian law.