India, Jan. 5 -- The Supreme Court on Monday refused to grant bail to former JNU scholar Umar Khalid and activist Sharjeel Imam in the alleged larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots, holding that the gravity and statutory nature of the offences alleged against them, coupled with their purported central role in the conspiracy, disentitled them to relief at this stage. At the same time, the court granted bail to five other co-accused after drawing a clear distinction in the roles attributed to them by the prosecution.

A bench of justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria held that Khalid and Imam stood "qualitatively on a different footing" from the remaining accused, observing that the material placed on record prima facie indic...