Umar Khalid gets 7-day bail to attend wedding in family
A Delhi court has given former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid a seven-day interim bail to attend a family wedding. The bail period is from December 28 to January 3. Khalid has been in custody since his arrest on September 14, 2020, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He was accused of hatching a conspiracy behind the February 2020 Delhi riots.
Delhi Police opposed Khalid's bail request
The Delhi Police had opposed Khalid's bail plea, accusing him of escalating narratives through messages to actors and politicians as part of the conspiracy. However, their opposition was overruled by the court this time. Notably, this isn't Khalid's first attempt at securing bail. He had previously sought a 10-day interim bail but was only granted seven days by the court.
Previous bail pleas rejected, allegations deemed 'prima facie true'
Khalid's second plea for regular bail was rejected by a trial court on May 28. The court said previous orders dismissing his applications had attained finality. This dismissal was upheld by the Delhi High Court on October 18, 2022, which said allegations against Khalid were "prima facie true." The High Court observed that anti-CAA protests "metamorphosed into violent riots," apparently orchestrated at conspiratorial meetings with Khalid's "active involvement."
Khalid's bail applications under review, no further relief granted
Currently, Khalid's regular bail pleas are being heard by the Delhi High Court along with those of activist Sharjeel Imam. The trial court noted that since the High Court had dismissed Khalid's criminal appeal and he withdrew his petition before the Supreme Court, it couldn't re-evaluate the facts or grant further relief. This comes as Khalid continues to remain in custody for his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
