Delhi HC Grants Umar Khalid Three-Day Interim Bail To Meet Mother Ahead Of Surgery

The Delhi High Court on Friday granted activist Umar Khalid three days’ interim bail in the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), allowing him to meet his mother before she undergoes surgery.

According to PTI, a bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain allowed Khalid to be released from June 1 to June 3 while hearing his appeal against a trial court order rejecting his interim bail plea.

The court noted that the Supreme Court had dismissed Khalid’s regular bail plea on January 5 but said relief was being granted on humanitarian grounds. “Taking an empathetic view, this court is inclined to grant him interim bail for three days from June 1 to June 3 to enable the appellant to spend time with his mother,” the bench said.

Reported PTI, Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the Delhi Police, opposed the plea and argued that Khalid’s mother was to undergo only a minor surgery. He submitted that Khalid could instead be allowed to visit her under police escort.

Khalid had sought 15 days’ interim bail to attend the 40-day post-death ritual of his uncle and to take care of his mother during her surgery.

The trial court, however, rejected the plea on May 19, observing that attending the ceremony of his deceased uncle was “not that necessary” and that other family members were available to care for his mother.

PTI reported that Khalid was booked under the UAPA for allegedly being one of the “masterminds” behind the February 2020 riots in northeast Delhi, which left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured.

The violence broke out during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Activists Sharjeel Imam and Khalid Saifi, along with former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and others, were also booked in the larger conspiracy case being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell.

On September 2, 2025, a Delhi High Court bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur denied bail to Imam, Khalid, Miran Haider and other accused in the case. The Supreme Court later upheld that order in January, according to PTI.

(With inputs from PTI)