The Supreme Court on Friday adjourned for two weeks the hearing on a plea filed by former JNU student Umar Khalid seeking bail in a case lodged under anti-terror law UAPA over his alleged involvement in the conspiracy behind the northeast Delhi riots of February 2020.
The hearing was adjourned today as a bench of Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi said the matter needs to heard on a non-miscellaneous day.For the apex court, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are non-miscellaneous days when matters which require detailed hearing are taken up.Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, agreed to the suggestion.
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Why was Khalid arrested?
Under the charge of being the 'masterminds" of the February 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured, activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code.The widespread violence in Delhi had erupted during the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Former JNU student Umar Khalid who was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail and denied having any criminal role in the violence nor any "conspiratorial connect" with any other accused in the case.
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Delhi police had opposed Khalid's bail plea in the high court, saying the speech delivered by him was "very calculated" and he brought up contentious issues like Babri Masjid, triple talaq, Kashmir, the alleged suppression of Muslims and the CAA and NRC.
Khalid's petition challenging the October 18, 2022 order of the Delhi High Court, which had rejected his bail plea in the matter, had come up for hearing before a bench of Justices A S Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra.
