Delhi high court rejects ex-JNU student leader Umar Khalid’s bail plea

New Delhi, Oct 18: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid who is accused in a larger conspiracy case related to the North East Delhi riots of February 2020.

"We don't find any merit in the bail appeal. The bail appeal is dismissed," Live Law quoted Justice Bhatnagar as stating while pronouncing the order. The judge also asked the staff to upload the order copy "right away."

Khalid, arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020, sought bail on grounds that he neither had any "criminal role" in the violence in the city's north-east area nor any "conspiratorial connect" with any other accused in the case.The bail plea was opposed by the Delhi Police.

Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against CAA and NRC.

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 have also been booked under the stringent law in the case.

With inputs from PTI