The Delhi High Court is set to hear the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid on Monday in connection with a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi
The bail plea, challenging a recent trial court order that denied bail to Khalid, will be heard by a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma.
Khalid, along with Sharjeel Imam and several others, has been charged under the UAPA and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly masterminding the riots that resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. The violence broke out during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020. On May 28, 2023, the trial court rejected Khalid’s plea for regular bail for the second time, stating that its previous order dismissing his first bail application had become final. The court noted, “When the Delhi High Court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant vide order dated October 18, 2022, and thereafter, the applicant approached the Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court as passed on March 24, 2022, has attained finality and now, in no stretch of imagination this court can make analysis of the facts of the case as desired by the applicant and consider the relief as prayed by him.”
On October 18, 2022, the high court upheld the dismissal of Khalid’s first bail plea, stating that the city police’s allegations against him were prima facie true. The court observed that the anti-CAA protests “metamorphosed into violent riots,” which “prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings,” and that witness statements indicated Khalid’s “active involvement” in the protests.
The hearing on Khalid’s bail plea is highly anticipated, given the contentious nature of the case and its implications for other accused individuals.
(With inputs from agency)
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