2020 Delhi Riots: HC Grants 3-Day Interim Bail To Umar Khalid For Mother's Surgery
Khalid was booked under UAPA for being one of "masterminds" of February 2020 riots that had left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
Published : May 22, 2026 at 12:16 PM IST
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday granted three-day interim bail to activist Umar Khalid who was jailed under the anti-terror law UAPA concerning the larger conspiracy case linked to the February 2020 riots in the city's northeastern parts.
A bench headed by Justice Pratibha Singh ordered that Umar Khalid be released on interim bail from June 1 to June 3 for his mother's surgery, and asked him to deposit Rs one lakh.
As per the order, Khalid will be released at 7 AM on June 1. The court directed him to surrender in jail by 5 PM on June 3.
The judge further imposed conditions, asking Khalid to remain in the Delhi-NCR area, stay at his given address, not visit any place other than the hospital, and will keep only one mobile phone (number) with him during the bail period.
Earlier on Thursday, Khalid had moved the High Court challenging the May 19 order of the Karkardooma Court, which had refused to grant him 15 days' interim bail to attend a 40-day post-death ritual (Chehlum) of his uncle and take care of his mother, who will undergo surgery for lump excision at a private hospital. Umar had appealed for bail to stay with his mother before and after her surgery scheduled on June 2.
The trial court had said that Khalid had earlier also been granted interim bail and he had not violated the bail conditions during that period. However, that does not mean he should be granted interim bail every time, the court said.
The court also opined that attending the ceremony of his deceased uncle is "not that necessary" and that other family members are available to take care of his mother. "Accordingly, finding the reasons unreasonable, the Court doesn't deem it appropriate to grant the desired relief to the applicant. The application is dismissed," the court order had said.
It may be noted that the Karkardooma Court had granted interim bail to Umar Khalid on December 11, 2025, to attend a wedding in the family. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court dismissed the bail pleas of Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam in the case, saying that the prosecution material disclosed prima facie grounds attracting the statutory embargo on bail under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA. Khalid's review petition challenging the denial of bail was also dismissed by the top court in April this year.
Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell on September 13, 2020, and has been in custody since then. He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being one of the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots that had left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Activists Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, among others, were also booked for their alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy case, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police's Special Cell.
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