New Delhi: On Friday the Supreme Court decided to postpone the hearing of Umar Khalid’s bail request related to a case, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) which is connected to the alleged conspiracy behind the North East Delhi riots in February 2020. The hearing, presided over by Justice’s Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi will resume after a two week period.
The bench stated that the case should be scheduled on a miscellaneous day and thus it will be listed for hearing in two weeks on an appropriate day. Umar Khalid approached the Supreme Court after his plea for bail was rejected by the Delhi High Court in October 2022. During his plea at the High Court Khalid maintained that he had no involvement in the violence that took place in North East Delhi nor any connection to the alleged conspiracy or other implicated suspects.
However Khalid’s bail request was refuted by Delhi police. After his bail plea was denied by a trial court in March 2022 Khalid appealed to the High Court. He is facing charges including rioting, criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly as well, as various provisions of the UAPA.
Several additional people, such, as Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi scholars Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita from JNU and members of the Jamia Coordination Committee like Safoora Zargar, former councillor Tahir Hussain from AAP and others have also been charged under this law in connection, with the same incident.