The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for October 7 to review the bail applications of JNU student leader Umar Khalid and several other accused in connection with the alleged conspiracy behind the Delhi riots of 2020.
The division bench, consisting of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Girish Kathpaliya, will consider the bail pleas of Khalid, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, Sharjeel Imam, Shadab Ahmed, and other defendants.
Umar Khalid's bail application has been set for this date along with the other pleas. Earlier, the High Court had issued a notice to the Delhi police regarding Khalid’s request for bail.
The bail plea for Khalid had previously been dismissed by the trial court, and he had been in custody since September 2020. The case is still under investigation, with charge sheets and supplementary charge sheets filed.
On May 28, the Karkardooma Court in Delhi denied Khalid’s request for regular bail, citing the High Court's earlier order that described the allegations against him as prima facie true.
Special Judge Sameer Bajpai emphasised that the High Court had thoroughly examined the case and found sufficient grounds to apply the restrictions under Section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which limits bail eligibility for certain offences.
The trial court had also noted that the High Court’s analysis was a preliminary review, intended to determine if there was a prima facie case. The Special Judge observed that the High Court's decision to deny bail was based on a surface-level assessment of evidence and that the case's complexity required adherence to the High Court’s prior conclusions. Despite Khalid's attempts to challenge the court’s decision, his appeal was withdrawn from the Supreme Court, reinforcing the trial court’s earlier judgments.
Khalid’s continued detention has been a point of contention, with his legal team arguing for bail based on the claim that the charges against him do not warrant ongoing imprisonment.
The High Court's upcoming session will be crucial in determining whether Khalid and the other accused will be granted bail or remain in custody pending further legal proceedings.
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