Delhi riots 2020: HC grants bail to Salim Malik in UAPA case

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to Salim Mailk in a case under anti-terror law UAPA concerning the “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 riots in the city’s northeastern parts.

The relief was granted by a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain on Malik’s appeal challenging a trial court order of January 29 that denied him bail in the case.

His counsel argued that he was entitled to bail in view of the Supreme Court granting the relief to identically-placed co-accused Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.

Malik was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being one of the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots that had left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The violence erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Salim, who was arrested in June 2020, is among the 11 alleged organisers and speakers of an anti-CAA/NRC meeting.

On January 5, the Supreme Court granted bail to five accused — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad — in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The top court, however, denied the relief to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, saying all the accused in the case do not stand on the same footing.

On September 2, 2025, a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur had denied bail to Imam, Khalid, Haider and other co-accused in the case.