Umar Khalid gets 7-day interim bail in Delhi riots conspiracy case to attend marriage in family

A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted interim bail to former JNU scholar Umar Khalid in the UAPA case alleging a larger conspiracy related to the 2020 North-East Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts granted interim bail for 7 days to Khalid for attending a wedding in the family.

Umar Khalid was denied bail in October 2022 by the Delhi High Court. He then approached the Supreme Court but later withdrew his SLP. A second regular bail plea was filed by him in the trial court which was rejected earlier this year.

Khalid's appeal challenging the rejection of his second regular bail plea is pending before the Delhi High Court.

The 2020 Delhi riots, or North East Delhi riots, were multiple waves of bloodshed, property destruction, and rioting in North East Delhi, beginning on 23 February 2020 and brought about communal mobs attacking each other.

An FIR was registered by Delhi Police's Special Cell under various offences under the Indian Penal Code, 1860 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The accused in the case are Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan and Natasha Narwal.