Former JNU scholar Umar Khalid withdraws bail plea from Indian SC
Delhi: Jailed for over four years, former JNU [Jawaharlal Nehru University] scholar and activist Umar Khalid today withdrew his application from the Indian Supreme Court in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) over his alleged involvement in the Delhi anti-Muslim riots of February 2020.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Jailed for over four years, Umar Khalid faced 14 adjournments of his bail hearing in the India’s top court. He did not receive a single substantive bail hearing in 2023 as well as in 2024, when it came up for hearing on January 10, 24, 31, and February 1, 7 and 14 (when the petition was withdrawn).
Today, a bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid that he wishes to withdraw the bail plea. Sibal said, “I wish to argue the legal question (challenging UAPA provisions) but withdraw the bail plea due to change in circumstances.”
The bench accepted the request of Sibal and ordered for withdrawal of the bail plea of Khalid. The bail plea was listed along with a batch of petitions challenging various provisions of the UAPA.
Umar Khalid had approached the Supreme Court to challenge the denial of bail by the Delhi High Court. The court had rejected Khalid’s bail plea, claiming he was in constant touch with other co-accused and the allegations against him were prima facie true.
Khalid and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 anti-Muslim riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Khalid, arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail on grounds that he neither had any criminal role in the violence nor any conspiratorial connect with any other accused in the case.
The Delhi Police had opposed Khalid’s bail plea in the high court, saying that during his speech he brought up contentious issues like Babri Masjid, triple talaq, Kashmir, the suppression of Muslims, the CAA and NRC.
