Watch | Denial of Bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam 'Completely Wrong': Dushyant Dave

In sharp criticism of the Supreme Court’s decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, one of India’s foremost lawyers and a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Dushyant Dave, called the decision “completely wrong”. Dave said its “really flawed both in facts and law”. He said the two judges have done a disservice to themselves as well as to the Supreme Court.

In an extensive interview to Karan Thapar for The Wire, Dave pointed to perhaps as many as six or more serious errors committed by the judges in denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. He said, increasingly, in India judges are afraid to give bail, adding, initially, particularly to members of the minority community but then correcting himself to say they are afraid to give bail in cases across all communities.

Dave suggested that counsel for Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam should file a curative petition which will be heard by a panel of five judges comprising the top three judges of the Supreme Court as well as the two who delivered yesterday’s judgement.

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