The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the city police’s response on the bail petition of Umar Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University student, in a UAPA case linked to the February 2020 riots in the national capital.

A bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Girish Kathpalia issued a notice to the Delhi Police regarding the bail plea, instructing the agency to submit its response. The court scheduled Khalid’s bail plea for a hearing on August 29, along with those of other co-accused in the case, including student activist Sharjeel Imam. The court noted that the bail pleas of Imam and the other co-accused were “set for hearing.”

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Khalid, who was arrested in September 2020, has challenged a recent trial court order that denied him bail in the case. He and others, including Imam, are accused of being the “masterminds” behind the February 2020 riots that killed 53 people and injured over 700, and have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The violence took place during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). On May 28, the trial court rejected Khalid’s second plea for regular bail, noting that its previous order denying his first bail application had attained finality.

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The court stated, “When the Delhi High Court has already dismissed the criminal appeal of the applicant (Khalid) vide order dated October 18, 2022, and thereafter, the applicant approached the Supreme Court and withdrew his petition, the order of this court as passed on March 24, 2022 (on the first bail plea) has attained finality and now, in no stretch of imagination, this court can make analysis of the facts of the case as desired by the applicant and consider the relief as prayed by him.”

On October 18, 2022, the high court had upheld the dismissal of Khalid’s first bail plea and said the city police’s allegations against him are prima facie true.

The high court had said admittedly, the anti-CAA protests “metamorphosed into violent riots”, which “prima facie seemed to be orchestrated at the conspiratorial meetings” and that the statements of the witnesses indicate Khalid’s “active involvement” in the protests.