2020 Delhi riots: Delhi court denies interim bail to Umar Khalid

A Delhi court on Tuesday, May 19, dismissed the interim bail plea of jailed activist Umar Khalid, who is an accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Khalid’s plea seeking 15 days of interim bail to take care of his ailing mother, who has to undergo surgery, and attend the 40-day post-death ritual (Chehlum) of his uncle.

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However, Delhi Police objected to the interim bail and said that Khalid’s uncle is his distant relative, while his mother’s surgery is not an emergency.

“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 ordered, according to Bar and Bench.

Notably, Khalid and others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an anti-terror law, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the 2020 riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured in northeast Delhi.

The violence erupted in several areas during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Khalid was taken into custody in September 2020.