New Delhi, Jan. 4 -- The Supreme Court will on January 5 pronounce its verdict on the bail pleas of seven accused, including former JNU scholar Umar Khalid and activist Sharjeel Imam, in the alleged "larger conspiracy" case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. A bench of justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria had on December 10, 2025, reserved its judgment after hearing detailed arguments from the accused and the Delhi Police, which has invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to oppose their release. Besides Khalid and Imam, the bail pleas pertain to Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed, all of whom are facing prosecution for allegedly being part of a coordinated conspiracy that culminated in communal violence in northeast Delhi in February 2020, leaving 53 dead and hundreds injured. During the December 10 hearing, the Supreme Court repeatedly questioned the Delhi Police on the applicability of Section 15 of the UAPA, which defines a "terrorist act", to speeches and protest-related activities relied upon by the prosecution. The bench specifically asked the police how it proposed to bring the alleged acts within the ambit of terrorism. "How do you bring Section 15 of the UAPA into this case?" the court asked, while referring to the defence argument that the material against the accused was confined largely to speeches made prior to the riots. Referring to submissions by senior advocate Siddharth Dave, appearing for Imam, the bench observed that the speech relied upon by the prosecution was delivered weeks before the violence. The bench had also pointed out that the allegations could attract Section 13(1)(d) of the UAPA, dealing with "unlawful activity", but sought clarity on whether they crossed the threshold of a terrorist act. Opposing bail, additional solicitor general SV Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, contended that the speeches could not be viewed in isolation and had directly led to subsequent actions that threatened the integrity and security of the country. Raju submitted that Imam's speech in December 2019, delivered just weeks before the riots, explicitly spoke of violence to follow and referred to "chakka jam", blocking roads, disrupting essential supplies and "cutting off Assam from the rest of the country", to incite mass unrest nationwide.HTC...