In a turn that has stirred quiet ripples through Delhi’s courtrooms, the judge who had been steering the ship in the Delhi riots conspiracy trial — only to be abruptly transferred last month — has now been re-posted to his old seat, reestablishing continuity in one of the capital’s most high-profile and protracted cases.
Judge Sameer Bajpai had been hearing arguments on whether to frame charges under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) against multiple accused since September 2024. But on May 30, a routine transfer order sent him to Saket’s South-East District, leaving Additional Sessions Judge Lalit Kumar to pick up the complex case mid-stream.
That disruption might have meant starting over — again — for the accused, many of whom have spent over five years behind bars without trial. However, in a corrective move dated June 18, the Delhi High Court ordered Bajpai’s return to his former posting in Shahdara, while Kumar will now preside in Saket. Essentially, a courtroom swap.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Arguments on charge had already been completed before Bajpai by both the Delhi Police’s Special Public Prosecutor and the lawyers for five of the 18 accused, including Tahir Hussain and Khalid Saifi. Starting afresh would have dragged an already-stalled process even further into judicial quicksand.
Judge Kumar, on taking over, had acknowledged the long delays and expressed intent to accelerate proceedings. But even with urgency in mind, the logistical heft of the case is daunting. Prosecutors noted they’d need at least five full working days to present their case — about five hours daily. Defence counsels weren’t far behind in their estimates, with requests ranging from 15 to 20 hours spread across multiple hearings.
The case file itself reads like an encyclopaedia of the Delhi riots — over 17,000 pages long. It includes the names of student leaders, activists, former municipal councillors, and local organisers: Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Natasha Narwal, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Ishrat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, and others.
Due to the sheer volume of material and the complexity of arguments, all parties had requested that the post-summer break phase begin with a fresh yet continuous thread of arguments, uninterrupted by vacations or more judicial reshuffles.
With Judge Bajpai now reinstated, that continuity may finally be restored — a rare moment of procedural stability in a case that’s been anything but. The next hearing is set for July 2.
