Sangbad Voice 9, New Delhi Bureau: In a significant development, a Delhi Court has granted interim bail to Umar Khalid, a former scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), in connection with the UAPA case that alleges a broader conspiracy tied to the tumultuous 2020 North-East Delhi riots. The ruling was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai at the Karkardooma Courts, allowing Khalid a brief reprieve of seven days to attend a family wedding.
The stipulations accompanying this interim bail are stringent. Khalid is prohibited from contacting any witnesses or individuals associated with the case. Furthermore, the court has mandated that he abstain from engaging with social media platforms throughout the duration of his bail. Additional conditions include:
- Khalid is permitted to meet only with family members, relatives, and friends.
- He must remain at his residence or at designated venues where wedding ceremonies are being held.
Khalid is required to surrender to the designated Jail Superintendent by the evening of January 3, 2025. His previous attempts to secure bail were thwarted; the Delhi High Court denied his request in October 2022, and although he sought recourse from the Supreme Court, he ultimately withdrew his Special Leave Petition. A subsequent plea for regular bail filed in the trial court was also dismissed earlier this year.
Born Syed Umar Khalid, he is recognized as a prominent student activist and was a leading figure in the Democratic Students' Union (DSU) at JNU. Khalid has been labeled a political prisoner, having been incarcerated in Tihar Jail since September 2020 for his purported involvement in the Delhi riots, despite the fact that his trial has yet to commence. He is also a co-founder of United Against Hate, a campaign initiated in July 2017 in response to a spate of lynchings.
The Delhi Police have charged Khalid under the UAPA, citing his alleged "provocative speeches" made during the visit of then-American President Donald Trump to India. Authorities contend that these speeches incited and facilitated the riots. On September 14, 2020, Khalid was apprehended by the Delhi Police Special Cell as an alleged conspirator in the riots case.
In the charge sheets pertaining to the riots, law enforcement officials assert that Khalid conspired with suspended Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and activist Khalid Saifi on January 8 at the Shaheen Bagh protest site, which was a focal point of dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Khalid has undergone two rounds of interrogation regarding his alleged involvement, with police linking his speeches directly to the unrest. The Delhi Police's special cell is currently investigating a broader conspiracy in addition to the myriad cases stemming from the riots.
