The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notice to the Delhi Police to a bail plea filed by former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Umar Khalid in connection with a case related to a larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi Riots.
Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police on September 13, 2020 and charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, and unlawful assembly as well as under provisions of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and remained in jail since then.
A bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli sought a reply from the Delhi police within six weeks but granted the petitioner liberty to approach the vacation bench.
Khalid had initially moved the Karkardooma Court in March 2022, seeking bail, but it had rejected his bail plea. He had then moved the Delhi High Court challenging it, and it was also rejected by the HC, in October 2022, forcing him to knock the doors of the Supreme Court for relief.
Khalid, a former researcher from JNU, is one of the accused in the larger conspiracy case relating to the 2020 North-East Delhi communal riots case.
In its order on October 18, 2022, the High Court had dismissed the bail plea by Khalid in the case related larger conspiracy in 2020 Delhi riots, "orchestrated" during the anti CAA-NRC protests, while drawing "inescapable conclusion" that his involvement in "a priori terrorists acts" are "prima facie true".
A bench of Justices Rajneesh Bhatnagar and Siddharth Mridul had noted that different protected witnesses have stated the role of Khalid and other accused persons with regard to violence, riots, finance and weapons.
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