Delhi riots 2020: Delhi Court denies bail to Umar Khalid in UAPA case

Khalid, an activist and a former JNU student, was arrested on 14 September 2020 in connection with the case.

A Delhi Court on Thursday refused bail to former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid in an Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) case registered against him in connection with the Delhi Riots of February 2020.

The court had on March 21 deferred the order on Khalid’s bail plea for March 23. On Wednesday, his bail plea verdict was deferred for March 24, i.e. today again as the judge said that order was under correction. The prosecution had alleged a larger conspiracy in connection with the north-east Delhi riots of February 2020.

Khalid, an activist and a former JNU student, was arrested on 14 September 2020 in connection with the case.

During the arguments, Khalid told the court that the prosecution lacked the evidence to prove its case against him other than the footage obtained from select news channels.

The prosecution had opposed the bail plea referring to Section 15 of the UAPA Act which defines a terrorist act. It had argued that while the riots were meticulously planned, there was destruction of properties, disruption of essential services, use of petrol bombs, lathis, stones etc that is covered under various sections of the Act.

Khalid and several others were booked under the anti-terror law in the case for being ‘masterminds’ of the February 2020 riots. A total of 53 people had lost their lives and over 700 were injured in the riots.

Violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. Besides Khalid, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and several others were booked under the stringent law in the case.