Delhi High Court Lifts Stay on Charges in Delhi Riots Case

The Delhi High Court on Friday, June 5, 2026, vacated its previous order that had restrained the trial court from passing a final order on framing charges in the conspiracy case related to the 2020 Delhi riots. The decision by Justice Neena Bansal Krishna came as she dismissed a plea filed by Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita. Kalita had sought access to specific video recordings of the protests against the CAA-NRC, which the prosecution relied upon, as well as WhatsApp chats of police groups. The High Court had previously, on September 12, 2024, imposed a stay stating that the trial court could continue with arguments on the charge but was barred from making a final order. With the dismissal of Kalita's plea, this restraint has been lifted, paving the way for the Karkardooma Court to proceed with its decision on charges. While rejecting Kalita's request for specific evidence, the Bench did allow another plea filed by her. This separate application sought directions to the police to allow her to inspect the malkhana, which is a secure storage room within a police station where physical evidence and seized properties are kept. Detailed orders in both matters are expected. The development also follows a recent move by the Delhi Police to seek the transfer of the case from Justice Krishna's bench. On June 4, 2026, the police brought the matter before Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, citing that Justice Krishna had reserved orders in January 2026 on Kalita's plea but had not pronounced the final judgment even after approximately five months. The police argued that this delay breached the timeline set by the Supreme Court for pronouncing reserved judgments, and also noted that a co-accused, Tahir Hussain, was using the High Court's September 2024 stay order to seek bail on grounds of trial delay. Chief Justice Upadhyaya indicated that the issue would be looked into administratively. The Delhi riots conspiracy case involves several activists, including Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Tahir Hussain, among others. The Delhi Police has invoked stringent provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the accused. The trial court had commenced arguments on the charge in September 2024. This ruling is seen as a significant step towards expediting proceedings in one of the high-profile cases stemming from the February 2020 violence in northeast Delhi, which resulted in over 50 deaths and hundreds of injuries. Regarding the news sources, Bar and Bench is a highly reputable legal news platform known for its factual reporting and is rated as "Least Biased" with "Mostly Factual" reporting by Media Bias Fact Check. Live Law is also a prominent legal news portal, though it has faced allegations of misreporting in the past.. In this instance, both sources corroborate the central facts of the Delhi High Court's decision. The legal proceedings concerning the Delhi riots are complex and ongoing, with various accused individuals facing charges under stringent laws like the UAPA. Recent developments also include the Supreme Court granting interim bail to some accused, highlighting broader legal questions surrounding UAPA and trial delays. This decision by the Delhi High Court to lift the stay directly impacts the progress of the trial court proceedings in the Delhi Riots conspiracy case, allowing it to move forward with determining the charges against the accused.

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