Delhi Court Grants 7-Day Interim bail to Umar Khalid

A Delhi Court on Wednesday granted former JNU student leader Umar Khalid interim bail in connection with a "larger conspiracy" case tied to the 2020 Delhi riots. Khalid, who has been accused of involvement in the violence, was given a seven-day interim bail to attend a family wedding.

The bail was granted by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Courts. The court's order allows Khalid to attend the wedding but imposes several conditions. He is prohibited from contacting any witnesses or individuals connected to the case during the interim period. Additionally, he is not allowed to use social media while on bail.

Other stipulations include that Khalid can only meet his family, relatives, and friends, and must remain either at his home or at the venue where the wedding ceremonies will take place.

Khalid is required to surrender to the authorities on January 3, 2025, by the evening, to resume his detention.

Khalid, who was arrested in September 2020, has faced multiple rejections of his bail requests. He was previously denied bail by the Delhi High Court in October 2022. Later, he approached the Supreme Court but withdrew his Special Leave Petition (SLP). His second regular bail plea, filed in the trial court, was rejected earlier this year. However, his appeal against this rejection is currently pending before the Delhi High Court.

The case, registered as FIR 59/2020, is being investigated by the Delhi Police's Special Cell. It includes charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The investigation alleges that Khalid was one of the key masterminds behind the riots, which erupted amid protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The riots, which took place in North-East Delhi, resulted in 53 deaths and left over 700 people injured.​