2 weeks ago
Intellectuals Urge CJI to Uphold Liberty in Umar Khalid Case
Many clever and famous grown-ups in India wrote a letter together.
They are writers, teachers, actors, journalists and activists.
They sent the letter to the Chief Justice of India, the most important judge in the country.
The letter is about two men named Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
These men have been in jail for six years, but their court trial has not started yet.
The letter says that staying in jail for so long without a trial is unfair.
It says everyone has the right to a fast and fair trial, and that being in jail should be the exception, not the normal rule.
The writers are asking the top judge to help set these men free while they wait for their trial.
They believe letting people disagree and speak their minds is what makes a democracy strong.
More than 110 public intellectuals, academics, activists, filmmakers and citizens signed an open letter to Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
The letter urges the court to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, held as undertrial prisoners for six years in the 2020 Delhi riots 'larger conspiracy' case under UAPA.
Signatories cite the Supreme Court's 2021 K.A. Najeeb ruling that prolonged incarceration can infringe the right to a speedy trial under Article 21.
The letter notes their trial has not yet begun and bail was repeatedly rejected, including by a two-judge Supreme Court bench in January 2026.
The prosecution has arraigned around 900 witnesses in this case, compared to 276 in the Najeeb case.
- Who
- More than 110 public intellectuals, academics, activists, filmmakers and citizens, including Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Ramachandra Guha, Prakash Raj and Rana Ayyub, addressing Chief Justice of India Surya Kant.
- What
- An open letter urging the court to grant bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, held as undertrials for six years in the 2020 Delhi riots 'larger conspiracy' case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
- Where
- India - the letter is addressed to the Supreme Court of India in New Delhi.
- When
- The letter was published recently; it notes that bail was rejected by a two-judge Supreme Court bench in January 2026.
- Why
- To uphold liberty and the constitutional right to a speedy trial, arguing that prolonged incarceration without trial violates Article 21 and that 'bail is the rule, and jail an exception.'
Key facts
- Addressee
- Chief Justice of India Surya Kant
- Signatories
- Over 110 public intellectuals, academics, activists, filmmakers and citizens
- Detainees
- Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam
- Status
- Six years as undertrial prisoners; trial has not yet begun
- Case
- 2020 Delhi riots 'larger conspiracy' case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA)
- Precedent cited
- K.A. Najeeb case (2021) - bail available where prolonged incarceration violates Article 21
- Witnesses arraigned
- Around 900 (compared to 276 in the Najeeb case)
- Latest bail rejection
- Two-judge Supreme Court bench, January 2026
Quotes
Chief Justice Surya Kant
Chief Justice of India
“"will melt down where there is no likelihood of trial being completed within a reasonable time and the period of incarceration already undergone has exceeded a substantial part of the prescribed sentence."”
thequint.com
“the SC retains the power to grant bail where prolonged incarceration has become so excessive as to infringe upon the accused’s fundamental right to a speedy trial under Article 21 of the Constitution.”
theprint.in
Authors of the open letter
Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, and other undersigned authors
“Their trial hasn’t even begun till date. But despite that, their bail applications have been repeatedly rejected by different courts, including a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court in January 2026.”
theprint.in
“We urge your intervention to reverse this travesty of justice unfolding before our eyes.”
theprint.in
Sources
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