The Delhi High Court on Friday granted three-day interim bail to former JNU student activist Umar Khalid in a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) linked to the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain granted Khalid interim relief after taking note of submissions regarding his mother’s medical condition and her upcoming surgery. The court said it was inclined to take an “empathetic view” in the matter.
Khalid will be released on interim bail from June 1 to June 3 to enable him to spend time with his mother during her surgery, subject to conditions imposed by the court.
The court was hearing Khalid’s appeal against a trial court order dated May 19 rejecting his interim bail plea. He had sought 15 days’ interim bail to attend a post-death ritual of his uncle and to care for his mother.
During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, argued that Khalid’s mother was to undergo a minor surgery and suggested that he could instead be allowed to visit her under police escort.
Khalid was booked under the UAPA in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots case, in which several accused were alleged by police to have been part of a larger conspiracy behind the violence. The riots, which broke out amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
Several others, including Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, were also booked in the case being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell.
In September 2025, the high court had denied regular bail to Khalid and several co-accused, an order that was later upheld by the Supreme Court in January this year.
(With inputs from PTI)
