A Delhi court has permitted Umar Khalid, a jailed student activist, to have two e-mulakats (video meetings) every week with his mother and other family members. This allowance comes after Khalid had been using this facility for the past six years without violating any prison rules. The court order was issued by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts in response to Khalid’s plea.
Khalid, who is an accused in a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, had sought the restoration of his two weekly e-mulakats. His request was based on the fact that he had been enjoying this privilege since his incarceration but it was reduced to one e-mulakat per week starting May 2026. Despite opposition from the jail authorities, the court ruled in Khalid’s favor, emphasizing his compliance with the Delhi Prison Rules.
The court’s decision was influenced by Khalid’s unblemished record of utilizing two e-mulakats weekly for six years. Consequently, Khalid is now allowed to engage in two e-mulakats every week to communicate with his mother and other family members. The court also instructed that a copy of the order be forwarded to the Superintendent of the relevant Central Jail.
Earlier this month, the same court rejected the regular bail petitions of Khalid and his co-accused Sharjeel Imam in the broader conspiracy case linked to the Delhi riots. The court cited adherence to the Supreme Court’s prior ruling as the reason for denying their bail applications. The case pertains to the alleged conspiracy behind the communal violence that erupted in northeast Delhi in February 2020.
