New Delhi

The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted bail to Salim Malik in a case under the anti-terror law UAPA linked to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi.

The relief was granted by a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain on Malik’s appeal challenging a trial court order dated January 29 denying him bail.

Malik’s counsel argued that he was entitled to bail as the Supreme Court of India had already granted relief to similarly placed co-accused Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmed.

Malik was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as one of the alleged “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Salim Malik, arrested in June 2020, is among 11 alleged organisers and speakers at an anti-CAA/NRC meeting.

On January 5, the apex court granted bail to five accused in the conspiracy case — Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad.

However, the top court denied bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, observing that all accused did not stand on the same footing.

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Earlier, on September 2, 2025, a division bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur had denied bail to Imam, Khalid, Haider and other co-accused in the case.