Umar Khalid Is Not My Mentor, No Coordination With Him For Violence: Sharjeel Imam Tells Court In Delhi Riots Larger Conspiracy Case
Nupur Thapliyal
8 Jan 2026 2:50 PM IST
Sharjeel Imam on Thursday denied before a Delhi Court the allegation that Umar Khalid was his “mentor”, while adding that there was no coordination between the two for the violence caused during the 2020 North East Delhi riots.
Advocate Talib Mustafa made the submission on behalf of Imam before Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts, while opposing framing of charges against his client in the UAPA case alleging larger conspiracy into the riots.
Mustafa said that during Imam's five years at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, he never spoke to Khalid, while also rejecting Delhi Police's allegations that there was coordination between the two for violence.
The counsel further said that Imam never supported or called for violence during the CAA protests in 2019-20 and that he in fact talked about non violence.
The case relates to FIR 59 of 2020 investigated by Delhi Police's special cell. The UAPA case alleges a larger conspiracy in the commission of the 2020 North-East Delhi riots.
Meanwhile the Supreme Court had on Monday denied bail to Imam and Khalid holding that their roles were not episodic but “architectural”, placing them at the top of the chain of command of the alleged conspiracy.
FIR 59 of 2020 was registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The other accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Devangana Kalita, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.
In June 2020, Safoora Zargar was given bail on humanitarian grounds on account of her pregnancy. In June 2021, the High Court, on merits, granted bail to three other accused - Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita, and Natasha Narwal.