Delhi Court Rejects Umar Khalid's Bail Plea, Know What Is Case Against Ex-JNU Student Leader

A Delhi court rejected Umar Khalid's bail plea on Tuesday in 2020 Northeast Delhi riots case. He has been in jail since September 2020 in a UAPA case.

Umar Khalid's representative claimed that no terror allegations were proved, underlining that repeating somebody's name will not change a lie into a truth. Counsel also claimed that Umar Khalid had been a victim of media trials.

On the other side, Delhi police's special public prosecutor opposed bail calling as it "frivolous and baseless".

On May 13, special judge Sameer Bajpai reserved the order and today, pronounced it order of not giving him the bail.

Who Is Umar Khalid And what is case against him?

Umar Khalid is an Indian student activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student who gained prominence due to his involvement in various student movements and protests. He was born in 1987 and pursued his higher education in history at JNU, where he completed his M.Phil and Ph.D.

Umar Khalid is known for his active participation in the 2016 JNU protests, which erupted following the arrest of fellow student Kanhaiya Kumar on charges of sedition. Khalid and other students were accused of organizing an event on the JNU campus where allegedly anti-national slogans were raised. This incident led to a nationwide debate on freedom of expression and the role of universities in India.

In addition to his involvement in the JNU protests, Umar Khalid has been a vocal critic of the Indian government's policies, particularly those related to minority rights and secularism. He has also been associated with various movements advocating for social justice, human rights, and the rights of marginalized communities.

In 2020, Umar Khalid was arrested in connection with the Delhi riots that occurred in February of that year. He was charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and accused of conspiracy. His arrest was widely criticized by human rights organizations and activists, who argued that it was an attempt to stifle dissent and target activists.