On Tuesday, 2nd September, the Delhi High Court dismissed the bail applications of two prominent figures linked to the 2020 anti-Hindu riots in Delhi. The two accused are Shifa-ur-Rehman, president of Jamia Millia Islamia’s Alumni Association (AAJMI), and Meeran Haider, a PhD scholar from Jamia and youth leader of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Both are facing serious charges in the wider conspiracy case related to the violent riots that shook the capital in February 2020.

A division bench consisting of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur passed the order. While announcing the rejection, the Court stressed that the allegations against the two men were too serious to be ignored at this stage. The judges highlighted their alleged involvement in raising funds, mobilising protests, and maintaining close connections with the masterminds behind the conspiracy. The Court pointed out that these roles made their release on bail legally untenable at present.

Charges against Shifa-ur-Rehman

The prosecution has accused Shifa-ur-Rehman of using his position as the president of AAJMI to raise money for riot-related activities. According to investigators, he was involved in channeling nearly ₹8.90 lakh into various protest sites. To conceal this spending, fake bills were allegedly generated under the banner of AAJMI.

Investigators further claimed that Rehman distributed funds specifically to bring women and children into the protest areas, under the belief that their presence would deter possible police action. On 28th April 2020, bills were recovered from the AAJMI office at Rehman’s instance, which showed that the organisation had received nearly ₹7–8 lakh in cash.

Rehman’s counsel pleaded that he was the sole earning member of a large family, caring for his elderly mother, disabled brother, two unmarried sisters, wife, and two children. However, the Court said the nature of the allegations outweighed such humanitarian considerations.

The bench noted, “We have perused the aforesaid statements, and the material placed on record. It is the case of the prosecution that the Appellants played the role assigned to them in furtherance of the alleged larger conspiracy, who were managing various protest sites across Delhi and had allegedly attended various meetings of the JCC at the AAJMI Office and other venues.”

The Court also agreed with the prosecution’s submission that the funds were raised to sustain protests against CAA and NRC and to support the riots, pointing to the fake bills as clear evidence of the financial irregularities.

Meeran Haider spent ₹2.33 lakhs on riots and protest sites: Delhi HC

The second accused, Meeran Haider, also arrested in the conspiracy case, faced allegations of raising and spending considerable sums to manage protest sites. According to the prosecution, he handed over money to AAJMI, where several meetings of the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) were conducted.

Quoting directly from the judgment, the bench remarked: “The Appellant Meeran Haider is also accused to spent ₹2.33 lakhs on riots and protest sites. He is also stated to have given money to AAJMI, where the meetings of JCC were held, while the Appellant Shifa-ur-Rehman, being the President of the AAJMI, played a pivotal role. They appear to have raised money in furtherance of the conspiracy.”

The Court further recorded that Haider was not just funding the protests but also allegedly delivered inflammatory speeches, reportedly at the behest of Umar Khalid, one of the main accused in the case.

Defence arguments rejected

Both accused tried to secure bail by arguing on humanitarian and legal grounds. Rehman’s lawyers repeated that he was the sole breadwinner for his large family and that his continued detention was causing extreme hardship at home.

The defence also claimed that their case did not meet the threshold of a “terrorist act” or “conspiracy” under UAPA, stressing that no weapons had been recovered, charges were yet to be framed, and that others facing similar allegations—such as Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita, and Natasha Narwal—had already been granted bail.

The High Court, however, refused to accept these submissions. It said that the role of Rehman and Haider was not comparable with the other co-accused, as they were specifically identified as fundraisers in the conspiracy.

The bench observed, “In our view, the possibility of misuse of position by the Appellant Shifa-ur-Rehman, being the President of AAJMI, cannot be ruled out at this stage. More so, when certain bills were allegedly recovered by the prosecution from the AAJMI’s office. It is further alleged that the said organisation had received a total amount of Rs. 7–8 lakhs in cash. The Appellants are stated to have been in charge of more than eight protest sites in Delhi NCR. Appellant Meeran Haider is also alleged to have spent Rs. 2.33 lakhs on riots and protest sites.”

The Court concluded that both men appeared to have worked closely together, and the allegations regarding funding were too serious to be brushed aside. On the argument of parity with other co-accused, the bench categorically stated, “We are of the view that the position and role of the present Appellants in the alleged conspiracy is placed differently than the co-accused persons in the entire sequence of events, allegedly being among the fundraisers in the conspiracy.”

Background of the case

The 2020 Delhi anti-Hindu riots occurred in Northeast Delhi between 23rd and 26th February, resulting in 53 deaths and leaving over 200 injured. Islamist mobs launched violent attacks against local Hindus under the pretext of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Investigations later revealed that these riots were not spontaneous but the outcome of a pre-planned conspiracy. Among those killed were a Delhi Police Head Constable and an Intelligence Bureau Constable.

The Special Cell of Delhi Police registered FIR 59 of 2020, which named several individuals as part of the conspiracy. Both Rehman and Haider have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) relating to criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity, rioting, and murder.

In total, the case involves around 17 accused persons, including high-profile names such as Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Ishrat Jahan, and Gulfisha Fatima.