Supreme Court Eases Bail Rules for 2020 Delhi Riots Accused Ahead of Wedding

The Supreme Court has modified a bail condition for Meeran Haider, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case, reducing his required police station visits from twice a week to once a week. The adjustment comes ahead of his scheduled wedding on October 17, 2026. A Bench led by Justice Aravind Kumar also excused Haider from checking in at the police station on his wedding day and on October 24, 2026. During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju made a light-hearted remark that Haider could get married at the police station. Senior advocate Siddharth Aggarwal, representing Haider, objected to the remark from the law officer of the NCT of Delhi. Mr. Raju later downplayed the comment as a joke. Haider's counsel had argued that the original twice-weekly visits on Mondays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and noon caused hardship and hurt his job search because they fell on working days. With no objection from Mr. Raju, the court changed the check-in requirement to every Saturday at the same time. However, the Bench refused to lift other restrictions in the bail order, including a complete ban on Haider attending or speaking at public functions or rallies, and a prohibition on sharing posts, handbills, posters, or banners in person or online until the trial ends. Haider was originally granted bail on January 5 alongside Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad in the conspiracy case, while the court denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi occurred during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens, resulting in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. All the accused face charges under the UAPA and the Indian Penal Code as alleged masterminds of the violence.