Supreme Court to deliver verdict on bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam in 2020 Delhi riots case on Monday

Umar Khalid

• Supreme Court to rule on bail for six accused in Delhi riots case on Jan 5, 2026
• NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani sent a supportive note to jailed activist Umar Khalid
• US lawmakers call for fair trial for Khalid, citing prolonged detention concerns

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The Supreme Court is set to pronounce its judgment on January 5, 2026, on bail petitions filed by six accused -- Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed and Mohd Saleem Khan -- in the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.

Ahead of the ruling, a handwritten note sent by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to jailed activist Umar Khalid has drawn attention. Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University student, is currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one's self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” Mamdani wrote in the note, which later surfaced on social media platform X. The note was signed by the 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, who recently became the first Muslim and Indian-origin mayor of New York City.

According to Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, the note was written when Khalid’s parents -- Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas -- visited the United States in December 2025. “They met Mamdani and a few others in the US and spent quite some time with him. That’s when he wrote this note,” Lahiri told HT, adding that the visit took place ahead of their youngest daughter’s wedding.

The development coincides with international attention on Khalid’s prolonged detention. A group of American lawmakers has written to Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra, urging a “fair and timely” trial for Khalid “in accordance with international law.” The letter, dated December 30, 2025, was signed by eight lawmakers, including US Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin.

“The US and India share a long-standing strategic partnership that has historically been rooted in democratic values,” the letter said, adding that concerns were being raised “in this spirit” regarding Khalid’s continued incarceration. The lawmakers pointed to what they described as “prolonged pre-trial detention” and cited obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

They also welcomed the interim bail granted to Khalid last month. A Delhi court had allowed him temporary bail from December 16 to 29, 2025, to attend his sister’s wedding, subject to strict conditions. “Umar spent all his time at home as his bail conditions did not allow him to step out,” Lahiri said.

Khalid was arrested in September 2020 for his alleged role as one of the “masterminds” behind the riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.