Court denies interim bail to Umar Khalid, says grounds not justified

A Delhi court rejected Umar Khalid's interim bail plea in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, citing insufficient grounds for temporary release

A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid, accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, saying the grounds for seeking the relief are unreasonable.

 

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Khalid's application seeking 15 days' interim bail to attend the 40-day post-death ritual (Chehlum) of his uncle and take care of his mother, who has to undergo a surgery.

 

In his order, the judge said, "The court is of the view that attending the Chehlum ceremony of his uncle is not that necessary. Things would have been different if the ceremony was of a person who was in immediate relation with the applicant."

 

 

The court also said Khalid could have sought the relief immediately after his uncle's death if the relationship was so close.

 

"If the relationship was so immediate and thick, the applicant would have asked for the release at the time of the death of his uncle only and not now after such a long time. Therefore, the court does not find this reason to be just," the judge said.

 

Opposing Khalid's bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Anirudh Mishra told the court that the accused has five sisters and a father who can help his mother pre and post surgery.

 

"The surgery is not a serious one and is just a minor surgery, in which only local anaesthesia is given, and as such, again, there is no need for the accused to attend to his mother," Mishra said.

 

Taking note of the prosecution's submissions, the court said Khalid himself had stated that he has five sisters and that his father is also available to take care of his mother.

 

"Further, as said by the prosecution, the surgery is very simple, that is, just for the removal of lumps, and there seems to be no actual requirement of help from the side of the applicant," the court said while denying bail to Khalid.

 

Khalid is an accused in the conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 communal riots in northeast Delhi.

 

He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the IPC for allegedly being a mastermind of the 2020 riots that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

 

The researcher and scholar was arrested in the case on September 13, 2020.

 

Khalid's first regular bail plea was dismissed by the court on March 24, 2022, following which the Delhi High Court rejected his appeal against the order on October 18 of the same year.

 

Activists Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, among others, were booked for their alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy case, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police's Special Cell.