Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar, Umar Khalid, reacted to the Supreme Court’s denial of bail in the 2020 Delhi Riots ‘larger conspiracy’ case. Khalid, who has been in custody since 13 September 2020, said this is what his life has become.
The Supreme Court on Monday denied bail to Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in their alleged ‘larger conspiracy’ role in the 2020 Delhi riots case.
“I am really happy for the others, who got bail! So relieved,” Umar told his partner Banojyotsna Lahiri, who put out portions of her conversation with Umar on X.
The court, however, granted bail to five other co-accused in the same case, citing the gravity of the allegations against Khalid and Imam, legal news website Bar and Bench reported.
“I'll come tomorrow for Mulaqat (meeting),” Lahiri replied.
The Apex court said it was necessary to examine each appeal independently, adding that the record discloses that the appellants are not on equal footing when it comes to culpability.
“Good good, aa jana. Ab yahi zindagi hai (this is what his life has become),” Umar responded, as per his partner's post on X.
The accused – Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan and Shadab Ahmad were booked under the stringent anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the riots, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.
While Umar and Sharjeel stay in jail, Fatima, Haider, Rehman, Mohd. Saleem Khan and Ahmad were, however, granted bail subject to strict conditions.
The Court said that a delay in trial can serve as a trigger for judicial scrutiny, even in cases involving offences under the UAPA, such as the present one.
Delhi Riots 2020 Case
Khalid has been in custody since 13 September 2020, while activist Imam has been in prison since 28 January 2020, weeks before the Delhi riots broke out.
Imam was also booked in multiple FIRs across several states, mostly under Sedition and UAPA charges. Although he has secured bail in other matters, he has yet to obtain bail in the larger conspiracy case.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria pronounced the verdict on multiple pleas of the accused in the case.
Communal riots broke out in parts of Northeast Delhi in February 2020, amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The riots, which lasted several days, led to several deaths, along with large-scale damage to homes, shops, and places of worship.
(With inputs from Bar and Bench)
