A Delhi court today refused bail to Delhi riots accused and former JNU student Umar Khalid. He has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Delhi riots that shook the national capital in February 2020. The court had on March 21 deferred the order on Khalid’s bail plea for March 23. Yesterday, his bail plea verdict was deferred for March 24, i.e. today again as the judge said that order was under correction. The prosecution had alleged a larger conspiracy in connection with the north-east Delhi riots of February 2020.
During the last hearing, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, who was scheduled to pronounce the order had posted the matter for today, saying it was not ready. The hearing in the case had concluded on March 3 and the court had reserved its order.
During the arguments, Khalid told the court that the prosecution lacked the evidence to prove its case against him other than the footage obtained from select news channels.
The prosecution had opposed the bail plea referring to Section 15 of the UAPA Act which defines a terrorist act. It had argued that while the riots were meticulously planned, there was destruction of properties, disruption of essential services, use of petrol bombs, lathis, stones etc that is covered under various sections of the Act.
Khalid and several others were booked under the anti-terror law in the case for being ‘masterminds’ of the February 2020 riots. A total of 53 people had lost their lives and over 700 were injured in the riots.
Violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. Besides Khalid, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and several others were booked under the stringent law in the case.
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 and has been behind bars since then.