Supreme Court defers Delhi 2020 riots bail plea hearing by four weeks

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi deferred the hearing on Khan's bail plea after being informed by Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju that the government has filed its response to the application. The matter now stands adjourned for four weeks, during which time the court will review the submissions made by both sides.

Khan's bail application pertains to charges filed under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA, in connection with the communal violence that erupted in Delhi in February 2020. The riots resulted in dozens of deaths and extensive property damage across multiple areas of the capital.

The deferment allows the bench adequate time to examine the government's reply and other relevant documents before proceeding with the substantive hearing on the bail plea. The case will be taken up again after the four-week period expires, at which point the court is expected to hear arguments from both the petitioner's counsel and the Additional Solicitor General before rendering a decision on the bail application.

The UAPA cases stemming from the 2020 Delhi riots have remained in focus, with various bail applications and appeals continuing to move through the judicial system. The case reflects the ongoing legal proceedings related to the violence that gripped several neighbourhoods in northeast Delhi during that period.