2020 Delhi Riots: Delhi HC To Hear Umar Khalid’s Bail Plea On July 22

The Delhi High Court is set to hear the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid on Monday, concerning a UAPA case tied to the alleged conspiracy behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi.

Khalid’s plea challenges a recent trial court decision denying him bail. A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma will hear the case.

Khalid, along with Sharjeel Imam and others, faces charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and various sections of the Indian Penal Code. They are accused of being the “masterminds” behind the February 2020 riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries during protests against the CAA and NRC.

Khalid was arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020. On May 28, the trial court rejected his bail plea for the second time, stating that the previous order denying bail had attained finality.

The trial court stated, “When the Delhi High Court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant (Khalid) vide order dated October 18, 2022, and thereafter, the applicant approached the Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court as passed on March 24, 2022 (on the first bail plea), has attained finality and now, in no stretch of imagination this court can make analysis of the facts of the case as desired by the applicant and consider the relief as prayed by him.”

On October 18, 2022, the high court upheld the dismissal of the first bail plea, agreeing that the police’s allegations against Khalid appeared prima facie true. The high court noted that the anti-CAA protests “metamorphosed into violent riots,” seemingly orchestrated at conspiratorial meetings, with witness statements indicating Khalid’s “active involvement” in the protests.

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