Umar Khalid has again moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi HC (Sept 2, 2025) denied him bail in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case under UAPA.
His earlier SLP against the HC’s 2022 bail rejection was withdrawn in 2024 without a substantive hearing.
Courts have repeatedly cited prima facie conspiracy evidence, a 3,000-page chargesheet and 30,000 pages of electronic records, rejecting bail despite long incarceration
Umar Khalid Moves SC After HC Denies Bail In Riots Conspiracy Case
Khalid’s prolonged incarceration under UAPA highlights the clash between personal liberty and stringent anti-terror laws.
Summary
Former JNU scholar Umar Khalid has again approached the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court refused him bail in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case under UAPA. He had earlier filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in October 2022 against a similar HC order.
According to Live Law, In its latest September 2 ruling, the High Court admitted that prolonged incarceration and trial delays under UAPA affect fundamental rights but held that bail can still be denied in “peculiar” cases, citing the stringent bar under Section 43D(5).
His bail journey has been marked by repeated adjournments and delays, with the Sessions Court (2022) and Delhi High Court (2022, 2025) rejecting bail, citing prima facie evidence of a premeditated conspiracy. The courts have held that long incarceration alone cannot justify bail in UAPA cases, relying on the 3,000-page chargesheet and 30,000 pages of electronic evidence. Umar Khalid has only received interim bail twice—both for family functions—and has not had a substantive bail hearing in the Supreme Court, where his plea was eventually withdrawn in 2024.
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