New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday adjourned till January 10 the hearing on the bail plea of former JNU student and activist Umar Khalid in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots.
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma deferred the matter as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Khalid, and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju were not available. Khalid’s petition was listed along with a batch of petitions challenging various provisions of the UAPA.
The bench said that a joint request has been made on behalf of the appellant and the Union of India due to the non-availability of the senior advocates who are going to argue the matter. The bench scheduled the matter for further hearing on January 10 and directed that the pleadings in the matter should be completed in the meantime.
Supreme Court judge Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra had on August 9 recused himself from hearing Khalid’s plea. The Delhi Police arrested Khalid in September 2020 and charged him with criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly as well as several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has been in jail since then.
In May this year, the apex court sought Delhi Police’s reply to Khalid’s bail plea. Khalid had moved the apex court against the Delhi High Court order denying him bail. Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under UAPA and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots.
Khalid moved the top court challenging the Delhi High Court order passed on October 18, 2022, rejecting his bail plea in the matter. The High Court had said he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true.
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