The bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M. Pancholi ordered a relaxation in the bail regime imposed on Meeran Haider, a key accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case. Instead of appearing twice a week, Haider will now report to the Crime Branch police station every Saturday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m., a shift aimed at easing his logistical burden before the trial concludes.
Previously, the Supreme Court had set a stringent schedule, mandating the accused to appear on Mondays and Thursdays. The April 5, 2024 judgment had also highlighted that any misuse of liberty could trigger bail cancellation.
The court’s ruling came shortly after it granted bail to other conspirators—Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa‑ur‑Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad—under eleven conditions, reinforcing a pattern of cautious release.
Delhi Police’s Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who represented the state, did not contest the relaxation, while Siddharth Agarwal, Haider’s counsel, argued the change was necessary because of an upcoming wedding.
The 2019‑2020 riots erupted amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens, killing 53 people and injuring over 700. Seventeen arrests were made, with eighteen charged in the conspiracy case, and eleven have so far secured bail.
The Court will now issue a monthly compliance report to the trial court, and the accused must continue to adhere to the remaining conditions, including abstaining from social media and public gatherings until the trial’s conclusion.