Who Is Gulfisha Fatima? Activist In 2020 Delhi Riots Case Released On Bail

Gulfisha Fatima, one of the accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, walked out of Tihar Jail on January 7 after a Delhi court issued her release orders following bail from the Supreme Court, jail sources said. The Delhi court issued release orders after they produced bail bonds of ₹2 lakh with two local sureties, as directed by the apex court. 

The court noted that all bail conditions had been complied with and passed the orders for their release after Delhi Police submitted verification reports of the sureties and documents.

Gulfisha Fatima is free :)

pic.twitter.com/22fDZ4AgNw

— Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) January 7, 2026

The Supreme Court said that Fatima did not exercise independent command, resource control, or strategic oversight over multiple protest sites during the agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The bench observed, "The allegation that Gulfisha Fatima mobilised local women and coordinated protest-site logistics, though relevant to the prosecution's case, does not presently disclose that she exercised independent command, resource control, or strategic oversight over multiple protest sites."

The bench further noted, "The prosecution itself asserts that directions were conveyed to her by others higher in the asserted hierarchy. In these circumstances, this court finds that the level of attributed agency and control does not justify continued incarceration once the investigative purpose stands substantially fulfilled."

Gulfisha Fatima: The Case Against Her

Gulfisha Fatima, born in 1993, is a Delhi-based student activist and former radio professional. She was actively involved in the anti-CAA protests in the national capital in 2020.

She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Urdu literature from Kirori Mal College, Delhi University, and later completed an MBA from the Institute of Management Education in Ghaziabad.

Fatima was an active protestor in Seelampur and Jaffrabad areas, where anti-CAA protests were spirited. She was known for encouraging women’s participation and even teaching basic English at protest sites.

She was among the student activists accused of incitement to and involvement in the riots. She was booked under multiple FIRs, including FIR 59/2020, which pertains to the "larger conspiracy" behind the riots.

Fatima spent over five years in Tihar Jail without the commencement of a full trial in the UAPA case. She reportedly taught fellow inmates to read and write and wrote poetry, drawing attention from civil rights groups and academics.

Her detention also gained international attention. Organisations such as the United Nations and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed concern and called for her release.