Umar Khalid gets 7-day bail in 2020 Delhi riots case to attend family wedding

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail for seven days to former JNU student Umar Khalid to attend a wedding in his family in the UAPA case alleging a larger conspiracy related to the 2020 Delhi riots.

The court granted interim bail to Khalid from December 28 to January 3 to Khalid in connection with the matter. Khalid had sought interim bail for 10 days to attend the wedding, but the court granted him bail for seven days with conditions.

Khalid has been in custody since his arrest by the Delhi Police on September 14, 2020 in the UAPA case over the alleged larger conspiracy behind the Northeast Delhi riots of February 2020, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The Delhi Police had opposed the bail for Khalid, alleging that he messaged actors and politicians to amplify his narrative as part of a larger conspiracy.

On May 28, the trial court had rejected Khalid’s plea seeking regular bail for the second time, saying its previous order dismissing his first bail application had attained finality.

On October 18, 2022, the Delhi High Court upheld the dismissal of the first bail plea and said the city police’s allegations against him are prima facie true.

The High Court had said the anti-CAA protests “metamorphosed into violent riots”, which “prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings” and the statements of the witnesses indicate Khalid’s “active involvement” in the protests.