Delhi Riots Conspiracy Case: No Fresh Hearing as Judge Returns After Transfer

The Delhi Riots larger conspiracy case will proceed without a fresh hearing on arguments on the charge, as the judge who had been transferred last month has been reinstated.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai, who had been hearing the case since September last year, was transferred to Saket Court in late May. Additional Sessions Judge Lalit Kumar was then assigned to hear the arguments afresh.

According to a new notification published on the Delhi High Court website on Wednesday, ASJ Lalit Kumar has now been transferred to Saket Court, and ASJ Sameer Bajpai has been brought back to Karkardooma Court, where the larger conspiracy case is currently pending.

Judge Kumar had last fixed July 2, 2025, as the next date to resume arguments.

On June 6, the court noted that arguments would begin on July 2.

“Considering the submissions of learned Special Prosecutors and counsels for the accused persons, the matter be put for arguments on charge on behalf of prosecution on 02.07.2025 at 12 noon,” the court stated.

Special Public Prosecutor for the State, Amit Prasad, submitted that the prosecution will take approximately five days, on an average five hours per day, for concluding their arguments. 

Counsels for the accused persons Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Tasleem, Safoora Zargar and Gulfisha, who had already advanced their arguments, told the court that they will again start afresh, that too in a precise manner, so that the arguments on charge would be completed expeditiously.

The court was also informed that the charge sheet runs over 17,000 pages, and given the volume, it was suggested that arguments begin after the summer vacation to maintain continuity. However, taking into account the right to a speedy trial and the time already elapsed, the judge fixed July 2 for commencement of arguments.

ASJ Kumar also observed that on the days the case is listed, no other major matter should be scheduled to ensure uninterrupted hearings.

Twenty people, including Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi, and former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain, were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the masterminds behind the 2020 communal riots that broke out in Delhi.