NEW DELHI, July 24: The Delhi High Court has requested the city police to provide their position on the bail application of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, who faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the alleged broader conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in the capital.
A bench comprising Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Girish Kathpalia issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding Khalid’s bail plea and instructed them to submit their response. The court scheduled Khalid’s bail hearing for August 29, to be heard alongside similar pleas from other co-accused, including student activist Sharjeel Imam.
The court noted that the bail applications of Imam and other co-accused are currently “set for hearing.”
Umar Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020 and has contested a recent decision by a trial court that denied him bail in this case.
Khalid, along with Imam and several others, faces charges under the UAPA and sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), accused of being the “masterminds” behind the February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries. The violence erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).
In its ruling on May 28, the trial court rejected Khalid’s request for regular bail for the second time, citing the finality of its previous decision which dismissed his initial bail plea.
The Delhi High Court had previously upheld the rejection of Khalid’s first bail plea on October 18, 2022, stating that the police’s allegations against him appeared to be prima facie true. The court acknowledged that the anti-CAA protests had “metamorphosed into violent riots,” which it indicated were orchestrated through conspiracy.
The court’s decision to seek the Delhi Police’s stance on Khalid’s current bail application reflects ongoing legal proceedings amid heightened scrutiny over the handling of cases related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
