Activist Sharjeel Imam, through his counsel, explicitly told a Delhi court on Thursday, January 8, 2026, that co-accused Umar Khalid is not his mentor and that there was no coordination between them for the violence that occurred during the 2020 North East Delhi riots. These submissions were made before Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts during arguments on the framing of charges in the UAPA case, which alleges a larger conspiracy behind the communal violence. Imam's lawyer, Talib Mustafa, contended that the Delhi Police's allegations of a mentor-protégé relationship were false, stating that Imam had minimal to no interaction with Khalid during their five years at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He further argued that to establish a conspiracy, an agreement between the accused is essential, which the prosecution has failed to demonstrate. The defence also highlighted that there was only one recorded meeting between Imam and Khalid, and even the witness statements from that meeting indicated no discussion of violence. Imam's counsel reiterated that his client consistently advocated for non-violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and that his chats, pamphlets, and speeches contained no calls for riots or killings. This significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings comes just days after the Supreme Court of India denied bail to both Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, citing a prima facie case against them under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The apex court, while granting bail to five other co-accused, distinguished the roles of Imam and Khalid, stating that their involvement was 'architectural' and 'central and formative' in the alleged conspiracy. The Delhi riots, which erupted in February 2020 amidst protests against the CAA, resulted in 53 deaths and hundreds of injuries.