"All those responsible for inciting riots must be brought to justice": Delhi riots victim after SC grants bail to five accused

New Delhi [India], January 5 (ANI): Ram Sugarat Paswan, who lost his son in the 2020 Delhi riots, reacted to the Supreme Court granting bail to five accused in the case, stressing the need for accountability.
Speaking to ANI, Paswan said that he's not opposed to the Supreme Court granting bail to the five accused if they're innocent, but emphasised that those who were actually responsible for the riots should be punished.
"I lost my son Nitin Paswan on 26 February 2020 in the Delhi riots. Two days before his death, riots were taking place, and on that day, shops had reopened. He had gone out to the market when the police bullet hit him in his head. He was taken to the hospital and admitted, but he could not survive. We don't have any problem with people being granted bail if they are not involved in the riots. All those responsible for inciting riots must be brought to justice," he stated.
The Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in a case pertaining to an alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots. However, the SC granted bail to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad.
The Court noted that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a "qualitatively different footing" both in terms of prosecution and evidence.
It noted that their roles were "central" to the alleged offences involving these two. However, their incarceration remains ongoing and lengthy; it does not violate the Constitutional mandate or override the statutory embargo.
The SC bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria delivered the judgment on the bail pleas filed by Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.
Earlier, the apex court had reserved its verdict on December 10 after hearing detailed arguments from all parties.
On September 2, 2025, the Delhi High Court rejected the bail plea of nine accused, including Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in connection with the case, prompting the defendants to move to the Supreme Court.
The High Court had observed that, prima facie, the role of Imam and Khalid in the entire conspiracy was "grave", having delivered inflammatory speeches on communal lines to "instigate mass mobilisation of members of the Muslim community."
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others were arrested in January 2020 under the stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the Delhi riots case in February 2020.
The violence had erupted during the protests against the then-proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) and had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. (ANI)