Supreme Court of India Rejects Umar Khalid’s Review Petition

April 20, 2026

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has dismissed a review petition filed by student activist Umar Khalid. This petition was filed against the January 5 decision in which the court denied him bail in the 2020 Delhi riots case.

Court finds no grounds for review

After examining the documents on record, a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N. V. Anjaria concluded that there was no compelling reason to review the judgment.

The bench stated, “After examining the records and documents, we find no justifiable reason to review the judgment dated 05.01.2026. Therefore, the petition is dismissed.”

The Supreme Court also rejected the demand for an oral hearing in the case.

Demand for hearing in open court rejected

Earlier, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had requested the court to hear the petition in open court.

He had argued that the case was important and deserved to be heard in open court. However, the court did not accept this request.

Bail denied in January, background of the case

Review petitions are usually heard in chambers on a limited basis.

In January, the Supreme Court denied bail to Umar Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam. However, five other accused were granted relief.

The court stated that the material available with the prosecution constituted a prima facie case, which warrants the bar on bail under the UAPA.

The court also clarified that in conspiracy cases, it is not necessary for every accused to directly commit violence, but that their conduct can also establish their role.

The Supreme Court also stated that its observations were limited to the question of bail and would not impact the trial.