UAPA case: Umar Khalid moves Delhi HC for bail, hearing tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Former JNU student Umar Khalid has approached Delhi High Court, seeking bail in the larger conspiracy case of the Delhi riots in 2020. The case is listed for hearing before a division bench comprising justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma on July 22. Khalid has been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The case is being investigated by Special Cell of Delhi Police.Delhi Police has alleged that Khalid had pre-planned protests in 2020 at 23 sites that resulted in riots.
His second bail plea was rejected by the trial court in May this year. The court said that the previous order of the court rejecting bail had attained finality.
On May 28, the court, while rejecting his bail plea, stated that there was no delay in the framing of charges and commencement of the trial by Delhi Police. The court further added that, in fact, the accused persons had moved separate applications requesting that before framing the charges, the prosecution be asked whether the investigation was complete. “Thus, when the delay in the proceedings is not on the part of the prosecution and, in fact, is on the part of the accused persons, the applicant cannot take benefit of the same,” said the court. On May 13, the court had reserved the order on his bail application.
In March 2022, the trial court had first denied bail to Khalid, following which he approached Delhi High Court, which also denied him relief in Oct 2022. Following this, Khalid moved to Supreme Court. In May 2023, the apex court asked Delhi Police to file a response in the case. His plea was adjourned at least 14 times before SC. On Feb 14 of this year, he withdrew his bail plea from the top court, citing a change in circumstances, and moved to the trial court.
Earlier, the prosecution opposing the bail had submitted before the court that Khalid’s WhatsApp chat revealed he was in the habit of creating social media narratives to influence bail hearings. Khalid’s counsel disputed this argument, asking whether sharing WhatsApp messages was a criminal or terror act.
On April 24, Khalid had told the court that the court must examine each witness and analyse each document while hearing his bail plea to determine whether a terror case is made against him.
Khalid, through his counsel, senior advocate Trideep Pais also told the court that Delhi Police was repeating his name like a mantra in the chargesheet and there was a vicious media trial against him.
The counsel was rebutting the Delhi Police’s argument that Khalid was creating social media narratives to influence bail hearings.