Supreme Court Grants Bail to Two Accused in 2020 Bengaluru Riots Case After Over Five Years of Incarceration

The Supreme Court of India has granted bail to two accused, Kadeem @ Sadam and Zia Ur Rahma @ Ziya, in the 2020 Bengaluru riots case, observing that they have been under incarceration for more than five years, with the trial yet to begin in full.

A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma set aside the Karnataka High Court’s order, which had previously denied them bail.

Background

The 2020 Bengaluru riots case stems from violent incidents that broke out in August 2020 in the city, leading to the destruction of public and private property and subsequent registration of cases under stringent laws including UAPA.

In February 2025, another bench of the Supreme Court had declined bail to another accused, but had raised serious concerns about the slow pace of the trial. The Court had even directed the State Government to establish additional NIA Courts to handle the backlog of UAPA cases.

Charges Alleged on the Accused

The appellants were charged under several serious provisions of law, including:

• Indian Penal Code: Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), 353 (assault on public servant), 333, 332, 436 (mischief by fire or explosive), 427 (mischief causing damage), and 149 (common object).

• Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA): Sections 16 (terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), and 20 (membership of a terrorist organisation).

• Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act, 1981: Section 2.

The case is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Supreme Court’s Observations

After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court emphasised the prolonged detention of the accused and the delayed progress of the trial.

“We have perused the charges framed. The appellants have been under incarceration for more than five years. There are 254 witnesses to be examined. The appellants are two amongst the 138 accused persons,” the Court noted in its order.

Taking into account the large number of unexamined witnesses (254) and the overall pendency of the trial, the Court found sufficient grounds to grant bail and stated: “We have no hesitation in setting aside the impugned order(s) and grant bail to the appellants.”

Accordingly, the High Court's order was set aside, and bail was granted subject to terms and conditions to be decided by the Trial Court.

Case Title: Kadeem @ Sadam v. State by National Investigation Agency and connected matter