Delhi riots 2020: Court grants interim bail to Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid was booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being a mastermind of the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.

New Delhi, Dec 12: So called activist and an accused in orchestrating the anti-Hindu riots in Delhi, Umar Khalid has been granted interim bail for 7 days by a sessions court in Delhi on Monday.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat granted relief to Khalid from December 23 to 30. He has to surrender on December 30 and no extension can be granted.

According to Indian Express, the judge instructed Khalid to surrender before the court upon the completion of his interim bail term and told him specifically not to seek any further extension of bail.

Khalid had moved an application seeking two weeks' interim bail - from December 20 to January 3 - for his sister's wedding.

However, the Delhi Police opposed his bail plea. "Despite the verification of the fact of solemnisation of marriage, the interim bail of the applicant is strongly opposed as he is facing very serious charges under UAPA and his regular bail application has been dismissed by this court and appeal thereof was dismissed by a division bench of the Delhi High Court," the Delhi Police said in response to his bail plea.

Khalid was booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being a mastermind of the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Khalid has been in custody since September 2020. Sections under both the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) UAPA and Indian Penal Code had been slapped by the police following the meaningless riots that were carried out in Delhi at a time when the then president of the United States Donald Trump had visited India.