Jailed student activist Umar Khalid has approached the Delhi High Court to challenge a trial court’s decision denying him interim bail related to the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. Khalid requested interim bail on humanitarian grounds to attend his late uncle’s Chehlum ceremony and care for his ailing mother, who is scheduled for surgery next month. The Delhi High Court bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Madhu Jain is set to hear the matter.
Khalid’s plea for temporary release for 15 days was previously dismissed by a Delhi court. The application, filed under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) along with Section 439 of the CrPC, was rejected by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Court.
The plea mentioned Khalid’s uncle’s recent passing and the upcoming Chehlum ceremony on May 24, as well as his mother’s need for surgery on June 2. Khalid, being the eldest son in the family, stated that he needed to assist his mother before and after the surgery.
Opposing the plea, the prosecution argued that Khalid was trying to misuse the court’s leniency and that the reasons provided were not strong enough. The Special Public Prosecutor contended that Khalid’s presence at the Chehlum ceremony was unnecessary and that his mother’s surgery was a minor procedure that could be managed by his sisters and father.
The trial court, after hearing both sides, emphasized that each bail application must be evaluated independently based on its merits. While Khalid had been granted interim bail on previous occasions, the court found the reasons for the current plea insufficient.
Khalid, who has been in custody since September 2020 under the UAPA and other charges, is implicated in the alleged larger conspiracy case linked to the 2020 Delhi riots. The Delhi Police have accused several student activists of orchestrating the riots following protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
