A Delhi court has dismissed the bail plea of Umar Khalid, a former JNU student leader accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots' "larger conspiracy" case.
Khalid, charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, argued for parity with bailed accused, pointing out that others facing similar allegations were already out on bail, while some involved in comparable activities weren't even named as accused.
However, the Special Public Prosecutor, Amit Prasad, opposed Khalid's plea, highlighting that bail to other accused should not set a precedent for everyone. He emphasised that those out on bail might be stalling the trial, benefiting those in custody.
Khalid's advocate, Trideep Pais, contended that none of the witness statements provided grounds for terrorism charges against Khalid. He stressed that Khalid had not committed any terrorist acts and had no seizures linked to him.
Prasad countered by suggesting that Khalid had propagated a narrative as part of a conspiracy, citing his various chats with people on social media. Prasad asserted that Khalid's involvement was part of a premeditated plan, evidenced by his continuous engagement in the conspiracy from its inception.
Furthermore, Prasad alleged that Khalid shared links to news outlets to discredit the Delhi Police and requested actors to amplify these links. He claimed that Khalid orchestrated social media narratives to influence bail hearings, as revealed by his WhatsApp chats.
In light of these arguments, the court dismissed Khalid's bail plea, underscoring the gravity of the charges against him and the potential risk of influencing the trial process. Khalid remains in custody as the legal proceedings continue.
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