NEW DELHI, India: On January 5, India's Supreme Court denied bail to two student activists who have been in detention in connection with a conspiracy case linked to one of the deadliest episodes of religious violence in the capital.

Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were arrested five years ago under India's state security law. They are accused of conspiring to incite communal violence that swept parts of Delhi in February 2020, leaving 53 people dead. The riots occurred amid months-long protests at Shaheen Bagh, a neighborhood in the capital, against the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The CAA offers fast-track citizenship to persecuted religious minorities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians — from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014. The law sparked controversy because it excludes Muslims.

While the court granted bail to five other accused in the same case, it said Khalid and Imam had played a "central role in the conspiracy." The court also ruled that delays in the trial were not sufficient grounds for bail, noting that the accused, through their lawyers, had repeatedly sought adjournments.

"Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam stand on a qualitatively different footing as compared to other accused," the Supreme Court said, according to legal news website Bar and Bench.

Following the riots, police charged several activists and organizers, including Khalid and Imam, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Originally intended to counter violent insurgencies, the law allows for extended pretrial detention, often resulting in years of incarceration before a trial concludes.

Prosecutors representing the Delhi police strongly opposed the bail pleas, arguing that the violence was not spontaneous but the result of a deliberate plot aimed at damaging India's global image. They alleged that both men made provocative speeches and incited unrest.

Videos circulating online show the two students allegedly calling for action against the state. In a widely shared clip from a 2019 anti-CAA protest, Sharjeel Imam is heard allegedly suggesting that India and its northeastern states could be "permanently separated" by blocking the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the "Chicken's Neck." Following the video, Imam was charged under the UAPA and other sedition laws.

Umar Khalid has also made public statements questioning India's sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir, a position strongly opposed by the government. He has expressed ideological support for Kashmiri militancy following the killing of Burhan Wani, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant who died in an encounter with Indian security forces.

Their lawyers have denied all charges, arguing that there is no evidence linking either man to the violence.

Last week, eight U.S. lawmakers wrote to India's ambassador in Washington expressing concern over Khalid's prolonged pretrial detention and urging a fair and timely trial. Days before the Supreme Court hearing, Khalid's father shared a message of support from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

International human rights groups have also repeatedly called for the release of Khalid and Imam, arguing that their continued detention suppresses dissent and violates fundamental legal protections.