Delhi Riots Accused Umar Khalid Withdraws Bail Plea From SC

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid withdrew his bail plea before the Supreme Court in the North-East Delhi riots in February 2020 on Wednesday.

A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal allowed him to withdraw the bail plea.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, told the bench that the petition is being withdrawn in view of a "change in circumstances" and to seek bail afresh before the trial court.

Sibal said, "Bail matter, we wish to withdraw. There has been a change in circumstances; we will try our luck in the trial court."

Khalid has been in custody in a UAPA case related to the alleged conspiracy behind the North-East Delhi riots in February 2020.

Khalid had approached the top court challenging an October 2022 Delhi High Court verdict that had denied bail to him.

Khalid, arrested by Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail in the High Court on the grounds that he neither had any "criminal role" in the violence in the city's north-east area nor any "conspiratorial connection" with any other accused in the case. The Delhi police had opposed Khalid's bail plea.

He had approached the High Court, challenging the dismissal of his bail application by the trial court in March 2022.

He was charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, and unlawful assembly, as well as several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Besides Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and several others were booked under the stringent law in the case.

The violence that erupted during the protests against CAA and NRC left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. 

(ANI)