On 29th January (Thursday), former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain, Salim Malik and Athar Khan were refused bail by the Delhi Court in connection with the bigger conspiracy case surrounding the 2020 anti-Hindu riots in Delhi. The decision was pronounced by Karkardooma Courts Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai. The court stated that the accusations were found to be prima facie true and hence the accused were denied the relief earlier.
The Supreme Court granted bail to five other accused in the same case on 5th January, hence, the trio also requested to be released in the name of parity. However, the judge countered, “No doubt that the Hon’ble Supreme Court, vide order dated 05.01.2026 has granted bail to five co-accused persons, namely Mohd Saleem Khan, Gulfisha Fatima, Shadab Ahmad, Shifa-Ur-Rehman and Meeran Haider, but in the same order, the Hon’ble Supreme Court has also dismissed the petitions of the other co-accused persons Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, being the key conspirators.”
“Now, despite the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court regarding the co-accused persons, when this court has once formed the opinion that prima-facie case is made out against the applicant, no other different opinion can be formed now by reviewing the earlier order,” he added.
Due to their involvement in the 2020 riots, these three face charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Athar, a former call centre worker, is charged with giving provocative comments and being one of the main organisers of the protest in Chand Bagh in northeast Delhi. He attended covert meetings where he declared that “the time has come to burn Delhi” and assisted in orchestrating the destruction of CCTV cameras, according to the Delhi Police’s Special Cell.
Salim was one of the eleven speakers and organisers of the anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act)/NRC (National Register of Citizens) agitation. Others included Mohammed Saleem Khan, Salim Malik, Mohammed Jalaluddin, also known as Guddu Bhai, Shahnawaz, Furkan, Mohammed Ayub, Mohammed Yunus, Tabassum, Mohammed Ayaz and his brother Khalid.
Two of the twenty accused in the case are still at large, and the other eighteen have already requested bail. Seven continue to be in jail, including Khalid, Imam, Athar Khan, Salim Malik, Tahir Hussain, Tasleem Ahmed and Khalid Saifi.
