On Monday, the Supreme Court of India criticized its January 5 ruling that denied bail to Umar Khalid, a former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, and activist Sharjeel Imam, both implicated in a larger conspiracy related to the 2020 Delhi riots. The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan, asserted that 'bail is the rule and jail is an exception,' even in cases prosecuted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The court expressed serious reservations about the earlier verdict's reasoning, stating it failed to apply the principles established in the Union of India Vs KA Najeeb (2021) case, which recognized that prolonged detention and trial delays can override statutory bail restrictions. Justice Bhuyan emphasized that bail is not merely a statutory provision but a constitutional principle stemming from Article 21, which upholds the presumption of innocence as a fundamental tenet of a lawful society. The court reiterated that bail can only be denied based on the specific facts of each case, reinforcing the importance of individual circumstances in bail decisions.