New Delhi (Agency): The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing of the bail plea filed by former JNU student Umar Khalid in a case involving the anti-terror law UAPA and his alleged role in the conspiracy behind the February 2020 Delhi riots. The hearing was adjourned for a week as senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who represents Umar Khalid, was not available.
Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra of the Supreme Court recused himself from hearing Khalid’s plea on August 9. Khalid’s petition, challenging the October 18, 2022 order of the Delhi High Court that rejected his bail plea, had initially come up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices A S Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra.
The Delhi High Court had turned down Khalid’s bail plea, stating that he was in constant communication with other co-accused and that the allegations against him appeared to be true on prima facie examination. The high court had also stated that the actions of the accused could be classified as a “terrorist act” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Umar Khalid, along with activists like Sharjeel Imam and others, has been charged under the anti-terror law UAPA and various sections of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the “masterminds” behind the February 2020 riots in Delhi, which resulted in the deaths of 53 individuals and injuries to over 700 others.
The riots had erupted during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Khalid, who was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail on the grounds that he had neither played a criminal role in the violence nor had any “conspiratorial connection” with other accused individuals in the case.
The Delhi Police had opposed Khalid’s bail plea in the high court, asserting that his speeches were “premeditated” and had touched upon contentious subjects such as the Babri Masjid, triple talaq, Kashmir, alleged Muslim suppression, and the CAA and NRC.