“Go And Tell Trial Court”: Supreme Court Refuses To Relax Bail Terms For Delhi Riots Accused Shadab Ahmad To Attend Law Classes In Ghaziabad
The Court refused to modify the bail condition barring him from leaving Delhi, and his counsel withdrew the plea with liberty to approach the trial court.
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to let Shadab Ahmad, an accused in the Delhi riots case who is out on bail, attend law classes at a university in Ghaziabad.
While denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, the Court allowed the bail pleas of Shadab Ahmad, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman and Mohd. Saleem Khan.
The Bench of Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M Pancholi refused to relax the bail condition barring Ahmad from leaving the national capital during the trial. Accordingly, the Counsel for the Applicant asked to withdraw the plea.
The Court ordered, "Counsel appearing for the Applicant seeks leave of the court to withdraw the petition with liberty to approach the trial court."
Justice Kumar said, "Earlier you have gone for all your modification, variation, vacating. Have you gone to the trial court or not?"
The counsel had told the court that Ahmad applied for the LLB course at Delhi University but did not secure admission. He later got a seat at a Ghaziabad university, the counsel said, adding that Ahmad was on the path of “reformation.”
The Counsel submitted, "We have gone to trial court. The trial court has permitted to given a week time. He has to report two days, my lord, and classes in Tuesday and Sunday. He is on the path of reformation. He secured the admission in the law college. He has applied in Delhi University, three years course in Delhi University, is not able to secure there admission."
Justice Kumar said, "Law college! where why he has gone there?"
The Court referred to the bail order which said that he shall remain within the National Capital Territory of Delhi and shall not leave the territorial limits without prior permission of the trial court.
The Court said, "Go and tell the trial court."
The Counsel said, "Only problem is that the session has started in August. He is already running two months late."
Justice Kumar remarked, "We know why you have joined that law college leaving out all the colleges inside the Delhi."
Ahmad filed a miscellaneous application seeking modification of two bail conditions i.e. the bar on leaving the national capital territory without the trial court’s prior permission, and the requirement to mark attendance at the Delhi Police Crime Branch police station twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, leaving 53 dead and over 700 injured. Delhi Police arrested 18 people in the conspiracy case, and several of them have since been granted bail.
Cause Title: Shadab Ahmed v. State of NCT of Delhi [MA 3070/2026 in Crl.A. No. 15/2026]