Northeast Delhi violence: HC adjourns hearing on Umar Khalid's bail plea

The Delhi High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing on the bail plea of Umar Khalid in the larger conspiracy of North East Delhi violence due to the non-availability of his counsel.

His counsel senior advocate Trideep Pais has contracted COVID-19.

In April, Khalid challenged the denial of bail in a larger conspiracy of North East Delhi riots 2020. The division bench headed by Justice Siddharth Mridul adjourned the hearing for two weeks. Now the matter will be heard on July 27. This matter was to be heard at 2.15 pm today.

Karkardooma Court had denied bail to former JNU student leader Umar Khalid in March 2022. He was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Delhi Police and was arrested on September 13, 2020.

On the last hearing on May 30, while hearing the argument on Umar Khalid's bail plea, the bench said Amaravati's speech was in bad taste, but that doesn't make it terrorist activity. "We understand that extremely well. We will give the opportunity to prosecution," the court said.

The said speech was allegedly given by Khalid in Amaravati on February 17, 2020.

Justice Siddharth Mridul had said, "If the case of the prosecution is based on the premise of how offensive speech was that by itself won't constitute an offence. We will give the opportunity."

The bench had further said it may be tantamount to defamation but it doesn't amount to terrorist activity.

Earlier during a hearing in April 2023, the bench had called the speech offensive and obnoxious.

However, senior advocate Tridip Pais had argued that there is no material, no basis for allegations in the charge sheet. It is based only on hearsay.

During an argument on May 23, 2022, he argued that Sharjeel Imam had criticized a secular movement against CAA and Khalid does not agree with it.

Pais had said, "I am (Umar Khalid) being lumped with a person who calls for a deeply communal protest against CAA. There is no ideological meeting of minds."

This case pertains to the larger conspiracy of the North East Delhi riots of February 2020. In these riots, 53 people died and hundreds were were injured.