Full Breakdown
Supreme Court Adjusts Bail Attendance for Delhi Riots Accused Meeran Haider
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
- On September 25, 2026, the Supreme Court partially relaxed a bail condition for Meeran Haider, reducing mandatory police-station appearances from twice a week to once a week. Haider must now appear on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. at the Crime Branch police station, with exemptions on his wedding day, October 17, and on October 24.
Background & Context
- The bail relates to the 2020 Delhi riots that erupted in February 2020 during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The violence left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. Accused individuals, including Haider, were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) as alleged “masterminds” of the riots.
Key Bail Conditions
- The January 5 bail order imposed 11 conditions, notably:
1. Appear before the Crime Branch police station twice weekly (Monday and Thursday, 10 a.m.–12 p.m.).
2. Prohibit participation in any programme, rally or meeting, physically or virtually, until the trial concludes.
3. Ban circulation of any post, handbill, poster or banner in any form.
- The September 25, 2026 modification retained all conditions except the attendance schedule, which was changed to Saturdays with the two exemptions noted above.
Official Statements & Responses
- Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing Delhi Police, did not object to the attendance-schedule change and explained that the original condition was “consciously” broad, reflecting the court’s intent to keep restrictions wide-ranging.
- Senior advocate Siddharth Agarwal, counsel for Haider, argued that the twice-weekly attendance impeded Haider’s employment prospects and requested a weekend schedule, citing the upcoming marriage as a special circumstance. The bench accepted the weekend adjustment but rejected requests to narrow the other prohibitions.
- Justice Aravind Kumar, speaking for the bench, affirmed that the court would not relax any condition other than the attendance schedule, emphasizing the need for a “much wider” restriction.
Data & Statistics
- Fatalities: 53; Injuries: over 700 (February 2020 riots).
- Bail status: 11 of the 18 arrested individuals have obtained bail; the remaining include former JNU student leader Umar Khalid (arrested on September 13, 2020) and Sharjeel Imam (arrested on January 28, 2020), whose bail applications were denied.
- The Supreme Court ordered that the Crime Branch police station maintain a separate attendance register for each accused and submit monthly compliance reports to the trial court.
Criticism & Opposition
- Siddharth Agarwal objected, characterising the comment as inappropriate, while Raju later downplayed it as a casual remark.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Mr. Raju is right. He is saying that police stations are now equipped to conduct marriages [weddings] also,” — Mr. Aggarwal, senior advocate
What’s Next
- Haider must continue to observe all remaining bail conditions—including the bans on public participation and media circulation—throughout the ongoing trial. The court’s monthly compliance reporting will monitor adherence to the attendance requirement.