2020 Delhi riots: Court rejects Umar Khalid’s plea for 15-day interim bail to care for his ailing mother | Today’s news
A Delhi court on Tuesday rejected the interim bail plea of Umar Khalid, who is currently in jail in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots case, according to PTI.
Next session Justice Sameer Bajpai heard Khalid’s plea for a 15-day interim bail to attend his uncle’s 40-day post-mortem ritual (Chehlum) and attend to his ailing mother.
According to the lawsuit, Khalid’s uncle, Khursheed Ahmad Khan, died on April 10 and his Chehlum ceremony is scheduled to take place in Delhi on May 24. The application also stated that Khalid’s mother was advised to undergo a lumpectomy on June 2 after a medical examination at Alshifa Multispeciality Hospital, ANI reported.
What did the court say about Umar Khalid’s request?
The court noted that the fact that Umar Khalid and the other accused had earlier been granted bail without violating any conditions does not mean that such relief should be granted every time it is sought, LiveLaw reported.
On Khalid’s request to attend his uncle’s Chehlum ceremony, the judge said the occasion was not compelling enough to warrant provisional bail, noting that if the relationship had been so close, he would have sought release at the time of the uncle’s death, rather than weeks later. As for his mother’s surgery, the court said Khalid’s sisters and father could take care of her, the report said.
“Further, as stated by the prosecution, the operation is very simple, i.e. only to remove lumps, and there appears to be no real demand or assistance from the complainant. Since the reasons were unreasonable, the court does not see fit to grant the complainant the relief sought,” the Court observed.
The Delhi Police objected to Umar Khalid’s interim bail application, saying his release could have implications for public order and the administration of justice given the sensitive nature and wider implications of the case.
The police said the application was misconceived and lacked merit and should be rejected at the outset as there were no exceptional, urgent or compelling circumstances justifying an interim bail.
The case of the 2020 Delhi riots
Umar Khalid has been named in FIR 59/2020, which contains charges under Sections 13, 16, 17 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Sections 25 and 27 of the Arms Act and Sections 3 and 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 along with several provisions of the CIP (Indian Pen) Act.
Others named in the charge sheet include former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain, Jamia coordination committee members Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider and Shifa-Ur-Rehman, as well as Khalid Saifi, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Salim Malik and Athar Khan.
Investigators later filed additional charges against Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
Khalid and several others were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly acting as “masterminds” of the 2020 riots in northeast Delhi that left 53 dead and more than 700 injured.
The violence erupted amid widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).
