The Supreme Court expressed "serious reservations" about denying bail in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, reaffirming "bail must be the rule, not the exception." A two-judge bench stressed the state's burden to prove why an accused should be denied liberty pending trial. This intervention is crucial given UAPA's low threshold for bail denial, where incarceration often precedes adjudication. The court highlighted that lengthy trials can make detention de facto punishment. It underscored bail as a fundamental right; justice depends on protecting liberty. Bail should be default unless the state demonstrates compelling grounds to deny it.