The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the third bail pleas of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Dinesh Bhatt said it was bound by the Supreme Court’s January 5 order in the matter. The court held that bail could be considered only if the trial was not concluded within a reasonable period of time.

Khalid has been in jail since September 2020, spending over five years behind bars under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The prosecution has alleged his role in a larger conspiracy behind the communal violence.

The defence argued that the prolonged incarceration without conclusion of trial warranted relief, but the bench declined to interfere, pointing to the apex court’s earlier directions.

The ruling is the latest setback for the accused in one of the most closely watched UAPA cases in the country.