A Delhi court on Wednesday granted seven days’ interim bail to Umar Khalid, the former JNU student activist, allowing him to attend his cousin’s wedding and visit his relatives. Khalid has been in custody since September 2020, facing charges under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which were sparked by protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Despite multiple bail applications over the past four years, Khalid’s requests have largely been denied. His most recent plea for bail, submitted on December 6, was rejected by the Delhi High Court. Earlier, in October 2022, the High Court had dismissed his bail petition, leading Khalid to seek parity with other accused in the case, including Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Ishrat Jahan, who have all been granted bail.
Khalid’s legal team has argued that, during the violence, he was not in Northeast Delhi and had publicly advocated for non-violence, citing his speech in Amravati as evidence of his stance. His defense lawyer, senior advocate Trideep Pais, also questioned the logic behind Khalid being named as an accused while several others allegedly involved in the conspiracy meetings, including political leaders like Yogendra Yadav and filmmaker Rahul Roy, were not.
During the December 6 hearing, Khalid also claimed there was no physical evidence linking him to the riots. The Delhi court’s decision to grant interim bail provides Khalid with a temporary reprieve, allowing him to attend the family wedding under strict conditions.
