Mehbooba Mufti Slams SC Decision On Bail Denial To Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
Calling the ruling a travesty of justice, she drew a stark contrast between the prolonged incarceration of Khalid and Imam and the repeated parole granted to Gurmeet Singh, convicted of rape and murder.
SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday sharply criticised the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
Calling the ruling a travesty of justice, she drew a stark contrast between the prolonged incarceration of Khalid and Imam and the repeated parole granted to Gurmeet Singh, convicted of rape and murder.
In a post on ‘X’, Mufti wrote: “What a travesty of justice. On one hand Gurmeet Singh convicted for rape and murder continues to receive parole after parole. On the other (hand), Umar Khalid, merely an accused yet to face trial, has been languishing in jail for over five years & repeatedly denied bail by no less than the Supreme Court of India today. The scales of justice are breaking under the burden of injustice.”
Her daughter and PDP leader Iltija Mufti also reacted strongly, describing the apex court’s decision as “Supreme Contempt of India” and a “miscarriage of justice.” In another post, she warned of a “chilling message” embedded in the ruling, arguing that educated and intellectual young Muslims in India are increasingly being subjected to systematic institutional targeting. “It’s not the unlettered Muslims that constitute a threat for the BJP but the ones who can discern right from wrong, put up a fight & hold truth to power. Dark times ahead for all of us,” she alleged. End it
