Chicago – January 07, 2026
India’s Supreme Court has granted bail to five Muslim students and activists jailed for over five years in connection with the 2020 New Delhi religious riots, but denied bail to two prominent scholars, Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who will remain in Tihar jail awaiting trial.
The arrests followed nationwide protests against India’s 2019 citizenship law, which many Muslims argue discriminates on religious grounds and undermines India’s secular principles. Although the protests were largely peaceful, the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi responded with a crackdown, arresting hundreds—many under stringent anti-terror laws—and dozens were killed in the unrest.
Critics say these laws are increasingly used against marginalised groups, particularly Muslims. Khalid and Imam, both former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholars, are seen as high-profile test cases for judicial independence. Civil society groups describe the case as a litmus test for India’s judiciary, warning that unequal application of the law risks eroding public faith in justice.
