2020 Delhi Riots Case: Umar Khalid Moves SC Against Delhi HC Denial Of Bail

New Delhi: Former JNU student Umar Khalid on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking bail in the UAPA case, alleging a larger conspiracy in connection with the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.

The Delhi High Court on September 2 denied bail to nine persons, including Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, in the case, saying "conspiratorial" violence under the garb of demonstrations or protests by citizens couldn’t be allowed. Imam had already moved the apex court against the high court order.

Khalid, Imam and the rest of the accused persons were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and NRC.

According to the case status on the apex court’s website, Khalid has filed a plea challenging the order of the high court. However, no date for the hearing has been allocated so far.

Those who faced rejection include Khalid, Imam, Mohd Saleem Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman, Athar Khan, Meeran Haider, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima and Shadab Ahmed.

The bail plea of another accused, Tasleem Ahmed, was rejected by a different high court bench on September 2.

Last week, Gulfisha Fatima also moved the apex court challenging the high court’s order.

In its order denying bail to the nine accused persons, the high court said the Constitution affords citizens the right to protest and carry out demonstrations or agitations, provided they are orderly, peaceful and without arms, and such actions must be within the bounds of law.

These accused, who have denied all the allegations levelled against them, have been in jail since 2020. The accused moved the high court after a trial court rejected their bail pleas.

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