New Delhi- The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, reserved its decision over the bail plea of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others accused in the 2020 Delhi riots "larger conspiracy" case. Opposing the bail pleas, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, the second highest law officer of the Centre, who appeared on behalf of the Delhi Police, said that the long incarceration of the accused should not be a ground for their release on bail pending trial since they were involved in a well-orchestrated criminal conspiracy to put the entire country to shame ahead of the visit of the US President Donald Trump in 2020.

"If you (referring to accused persons) are doing something against the nation, then you better be in jail till you are acquitted or convicted," said Solicitor General Mehta before a bench of Justices Naveen Chawla and Shalinder Kaur. "It is not just a case of bail in regular riots cases, it is a very well thought and well orchestrated criminal conspiracy which starts in the capital of the country aiming at a particular day and time," he added. Solicitor General Mehta, referring to speeches made by Sharjeel Imam, said that there was a preparation to divide the nation based on a particular religion.

"Their intention was to divide the nation on religious lines. The intention was to cause national embarrassment at global level," he asserted. During his arguments, Solicitor General Mehta referred to several global media posts relating to the Delhi riots, and said that the accused were not protesting against a law but were planning something sinister. He shared an earlier court order denying bail to Umar Khalid, where the entire episode was termed as a "terrorist act". "Please do not treat it as a mere riots case. It is a case of premeditated attack on the sovereignty of the nation by doing something in the national capital," Mehta concluded. The Justice Chawla-led bench will hear the arguments on bail plea of Shadab Ahmed on Thursday at 4 p.m.(IANS)