SC adjourns Umar Khalid’s bail plea in Delhi riots case till January 31

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on former JNU student Umar Khalid’s bail plea in a case related to the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots under the anti-terror law UAPA. The bench, comprising Justices Bela M Trivedi and Ujjal Bhuyan, deferred the matter due to time constraints, stating, “List on January 31. High on board.

Senior advocate C U Singh, representing Khalid, expressed readiness to present arguments but acknowledged the bench›s rising after lunch. The case was listed alongside petitions challenging various provisions of the UAPA. It is noteworthy that Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra recused himself from hearing Khalid›s plea on August 9, 2023.

Khalid›s petition, challenging the Delhi High Court›s October 18, 2022, order rejecting his bail plea, was scheduled for a hearing before a bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Mishra. The high court had denied Khalid›s bail, citing his continuous contact with the co-accused and the prima facie truth of the allegations against him, classifying his actions as a «terrorist act» under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Umar Khalid, along with Sharjeel Imam and others, faces charges under the UAPA and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code, accused of orchestrating the February 2020 riots that resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, Khalid sought bail, asserting his lack of a criminal role in the violence and the absence of a conspiratorial connection with other accused. The Delhi Police opposed Khalid›s bail plea in the high court, emphasising the calculated nature of his speech and addressing contentious issues like Babri Masjid, triple talaq, Kashmir, the alleged suppression of Muslims, and the CAA and NRC.