Delhi Courts Weekly Round Up [July 13- July 19, 2026]

1. [Umar Khalid] A Delhi court has allowed Umar Khalid, who is in judicial custody in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots, to have two e-mulakats (video calls) with his family every week, restoring a facility that had recently been curtailed. In an order dated July 13, Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai observed that Khalid had been availing two weekly e-mulakats for the past six years without violating any provision of the Delhi Prisons Rules."Since the applicant has been using two e-mulakats in a week for last six years and has not violated any rule of the Delhi Prisons Rule, the applicant is allowed to have two e-mulakats per week for the purpose of talking to his mother and other family members," the Court ordered. Khalid has remained in custody in connection with the larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. Appearing on his behalf, counsel submitted that Khalid had consistently been permitted two weekly e-mulakats for nearly six years. However, from May 2026, prison authorities allegedly reduced the facility to one e-mulakat per week without any justification. Seeking restoration of the earlier arrangement, Khalid approached the trial court.

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2. [E Abubacker] A Delhi court has rejected the regular bail plea of Popular Front of India (PFI) founder and chairman E Abubacker, who is facing prosecution in the National Investigation Agency's (NIA) case alleging a conspiracy to overthrow the Government of India and establish an Islamic caliphate by 2047. Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma, in an order dated July 15, held that there were no grounds to grant bail, observing that there had been no change in circumstances since Abubacker's earlier bail pleas were rejected. "In view of the aforesaid appreciation and facts and circumstances of this case, I do not find any ground to grant bail to the applicant. Accordingly, the present bail application of applicant/accused E Abubacker stands dismissed," the Court held. Abubacker had sought regular bail on the grounds that his health was deteriorating, the trial had been delayed, and there was no concrete case against him. His counsel submitted that charges had already been framed and argued that the prolonged judicial proceedings justified his release on bail.

Bench: Special NIA Judge Prashant Sharma

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3. [Engineer Rashid] A Delhi court has allowed jailed Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid to attend the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament in custody on all scheduled sitting days, granting him custody parole from July 20 to August 13. Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma passed the order while allowing Rashid's application seeking custody parole to participate in the parliamentary proceedings. The proceedings were conducted in camera.  Custody parole allows an undertrial prisoner to attend a specified event while remaining under the escort and supervision of armed police personnel. Engineer Rashid, who represents the Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, has been lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail since 2019 after being arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the 2017 Jammu and Kashmir terror-funding case. The NIA had chargesheeted Rashid in October 2019. In March 2022, the Special NIA Court framed charges against him and other accused under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging war against the Government of India) and 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) relating to terrorist acts and terror funding.

Bench: Special Judge (NIA) Prashant Sharma

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4. [IRS officer's daughter murder] Delhi Police has filed a 973-page chargesheet before a Delhi court against Rahul Meena, the former domestic help accused of raping and murdering the 22-year-old daughter of a senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer at the family's East of Kailash residence in April this year. The chargesheet was filed on Thursday following the completion of the investigation by the Amar Colony Police Station. The victim, an IIT graduate preparing for the Civil Services Examination, was found dead at her Kailash Hills residence on April 22, after her parents returned home from a gym. According to the prosecution, Meena, who had been dismissed from his employment in February over alleged financial misconduct, entered the house using his knowledge of a spare key kept on the premises. Police alleged that he raped the victim and strangled her with a mobile phone charging cable after she resisted his demand for money.

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5. [Sonam Wangchuk Hunger Strike] Climate and education activist Sonam Wangchuk was suddenly shifted from the Jantar Mantar protest site to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital early Saturday morning, on the 21st day of his indefinite hunger strike, after the Delhi High Court directed authorities to ensure his medical safety amid a rapidly worsening health condition. Confirming the move, Delhi Police said Wangchuk was hospitalised "as per orders of Hon'ble High Court and on expert medical advise due to the deteriorating health condition" of the activist. The police statement added that while officials were complying with the court's directions, some protestors at the site "tried to create obstruction, in which slight commotion ensued." However, the force maintained that personnel "took maximum restrain and undertook the exercise safely." Police also appealed to demonstrators at Jantar Mantar to vacate the protest site peacefully. The hospitalisation follows an order passed by the Delhi High Court two days earlier, directing authorities to carry out daily clinical health checks on Wangchuk. The court had observed that the life of any citizen is precious, and had asked that necessary medical intervention be provided whenever required, effectively placing the state under a continuing obligation to monitor the activist's condition even as he refused hospitalisation.

Case Title: Rakesh Kumar Saini v. Union of India & Anr.

Bench: Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia

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6. [Vikram Singh Chauhan] A Delhi court on Tuesday rejected a defamation suit filed by Advocate Vikram Singh Chauhan against Google, several media organisations and journalists over their reporting of the 2016 Patiala House Court violence linked to the JNU controversy involving former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar. Senior Civil Judge Shruti Chaudhary of the Patiala House Courts held that the suit was ex facie barred by limitation and rejected the plaint under Order VII Rule 11(d) of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC). The Court also allowed applications seeking rejection of the plaint filed by several defendants, including Arnab Goswami, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd., Barkha Dutt, and NDTV. Advocate R.H.A. Sikander appeared for NDTV, Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy. The suit arose from media coverage of incidents that took place at Patiala House Courts on February 15 and 17, 2016, during hearings related to the JNU sedition controversy. Chauhan alleged that various media organisations falsely portrayed him as a "gunda lawyer", "goon" and "hooligan", thereby causing irreparable damage to his professional reputation.

Case Title: Vikram Singh Chauhan v. Google India and Ors.

Bench: Senior Civil Judge Shruti Chaudhary

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7. [Red Fort blast] A Delhi Court has permitted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to cremate or otherwise dispose of the mortal remains of 11 victims, including the alleged suicide bomber, in the Red Fort car bomb blast case, after noting that all necessary forensic examinations had been completed. Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitambar Dutt of Patiala House Court allowed the agency's application seeking permission to dispose of the biological remains, observing that the process must be carried out with full dignity and in accordance with the religious beliefs of the deceased. The court also directed the NIA to file a compliance report after carrying out the exercise. The NIA informed the court that forensic evidence, including DNA and other scientific material, had already been collected from the body parts of the victims as well as Umer Un Nabi, who allegedly drove the explosive-laden vehicle and died in the suicide blast. The agency submitted that the remains had begun decomposing and sought judicial permission for their disposal. The blast, which occurred near Delhi's Red Fort on November 10 last year, claimed 15 lives and left over two dozen persons injured.

Case Title: National Investigation Agency v. Umer Un Nabi and Ors.

Bench: Principal District and Sessions Judge Pitamber Dutt

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8. [Tahir Hussain] A Delhi court has convicted former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain and five others for the murder of Intelligence Bureau (IB) officer Ankit Sharma during the 2020 North East Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Praveen Singh of the Karkardooma Courts held Hussain guilty of multiple offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including murder, while acquitting him of criminal conspiracy and unlawful assembly charges under certain provisions. The Court convicted Hussain under Sections 302 (murder), 365 (kidnapping or abduction with intent to secretly and wrongfully confine), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), and 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the IPC. However, he was acquitted of offences under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 129 IPC.

Bench: Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Praveen Singh

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9. [Shraddha Walker murder case] Days after a Delhi court deferred the hearing in the 2022 Shraddha Walkar murder case after accused Aaftab Amin Poonawala sought time to appear for his IGNOU examination, Shraddha's friend Rajat Shukla questioned the delay in the trial, saying justice had been denied to the victim's family. Speaking to ANI, Shukla urged the judiciary to expedite the proceedings and opposed any relief being extended to Poonawala, who is facing trial for allegedly murdering his live-in partner Shraddha Walkar and dismembering her body in 2022. "We must remember that Aftab is the same person who cut her body into 35 pieces so brutally. He still hasn't been hanged. Four years have passed since this happened. It's a great pity that Saket Court or any other court should show him any mercy. If mercy is to be shown, then you should show some mercy to the few remaining members of Shraddha's family," Shukla said. He further claimed that Shraddha's last rites are yet to be performed as her mortal remains have not been returned. "Shraddha hasn't been cremated yet... Her body hasn't been returned yet, which is why her last rites haven't been performed," he alleged.

Case Title: State v. Aftab Amin Poonawala

Bench: Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Hargurvarinder Singh Jaggi

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10. [Judicial officers suspsended] The Delhi High Court has suspended two judicial officers, Veena Rani and Vinay Singhal, after finding prima facie material indicating misconduct against them and initiating disciplinary proceedings. In an order dated July 15, which was made public on Friday, the High Court administration placed Veena Rani under suspension with immediate effect. The decision, along with the suspension of fellow judicial officer Vinay Singhal on July 10, was taken by the Full Court in separate administrative resolutions. The Full Court also resolved to initiate disciplinary inquiries against both officers. Veena Rani's suspension stems from long-pending allegations relating to "forum shopping" in intellectual property rights (IPR) cases. Her name had figured in a 2018 order of the Delhi High Court, where a Division Bench took cognisance of allegations that certain litigants repeatedly sought to have their IPR suits listed before specific trial court judges. The Bench had directed that suits filed by those parties should not be listed before Veena Rani and two other judicial officers, who have since retired.

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11. [Excise Policy case] The Delhi High Court has granted a last and final opportunity to former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak to file their replies in the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) revision petition challenging the trial court's order discharging all accused in the Delhi excise policy case. Justice Manoj Jain noted that no counsel appeared on behalf of any of the respondents, including Kejriwal, Sisodia and Pathak, when the matter was taken up. The Court was informed that while replies had been filed by the remaining respondents, Kejriwal, Sisodia and Pathak had yet to place their responses on record despite earlier opportunities. Taking note of the delay, the Bench granted the three respondents one last and final opportunity to file their replies, making it clear that no further delay in the proceedings would be entertained. The matter has now been listed for hearing on August 17 and August 18.

Case Title: CBI v. Kuldeep Singh & Ors.

Bench: Justice Manoj Jain

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12. [Delhi High Court Bar Association Strike] Lawyers at the Delhi High Court have abstained from work for the third consecutive day on July 16, intensifying their protest against a proposal to increase the pecuniary jurisdiction of Delhi's district courts from ₹2 crore to ₹10 crore. The Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) contends that the move would drastically reduce the High Court's original civil jurisdiction, affect lawyers' livelihoods, and disrupt the efficient adjudication of specialised commercial disputes. What is the dispute? The controversy stems from a recommendation made by the Full Court of the Delhi High Court to enhance the pecuniary jurisdiction of district courts. Pecuniary jurisdiction refers to the monetary limit up to which a court is empowered to hear civil disputes. At present, civil suits valued above ₹2 crore are instituted before the Delhi High Court on its original side. If the proposal is implemented, only disputes valued above ₹10 crore would be filed directly before the High Court, while all suits below that threshold would be transferred to district courts.

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13. [Personality Rights] The Delhi High Court has granted interim protection to renowned Ayurvedic practitioner and health educator Acharya Manish, restraining unidentified individuals and entities from using artificial intelligence tools to create and circulate fake endorsement videos featuring his image, voice and likeness for promoting third-party products on social media. Justice Saurabh Banerjee passed the order while hearing a suit filed by Acharya Manish and Jeena Sikho Lifecare Limited against several unidentified persons, described as John Doe defendants, and Meta Platforms. The Court also directed the removal and blocking of infringing content hosted on Facebook and Instagram. The plaintiffs were represented by Senior Advocate Chander M. Lall along with advocates Satyam Tandon, Annanya Mehan, Mahima Dogra Tandon and Nitin Goswani. According to the suit, Acharya Manish, also known as “Chikitsaguru”, has built a substantial public reputation over the years through his work in Ayurveda, naturopathy, yoga and integrated healthcare. The plaintiffs informed the Court that he founded Divya Upchar Sansthan and later Jeena Sikho Lifecare Limited, which caters to thousands of patients daily and operates healthcare platforms associated with his work.

Case Title: Manish grover & Anr. v. John Doe & Anr.

Bench: Justice Saurabh Banerjee

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