Delhi HC Grants Umar Khalid 3-Day Interim Bail for Mother’s Surgery

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday granted three-day interim bail to Umar Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, the court described as an “empathetic view” in light of his mother’s upcoming surgery.

The court allowed Khalid temporary relief from 7 AM on June 1 till 5 PM on June 3 on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.

However, strict conditions were imposed, including directions that he remain within the National Capital Region (NCR), stay at home and visit only the hospital during the bail period.

While granting interim bail, the High Court also observed that Umar Khalid had earlier been granted temporary relief for family-related occasions and had complied with all conditions imposed by the court.

At the same time, the bench also noted that Khalid is considered “one of the key conspirators” in the case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

Despite this observation, the court chose to grant limited interim relief considering his mother’s medical condition and surgery.

Relief Comes Days After Delhi Court Rejected Plea

The High Court’s order comes just days after a Delhi sessions court had rejected Khalid’s plea seeking 15 days interim bail.

Khalid had sought temporary bail to attend his uncle’s Chehlum ceremony and to take care of his ailing mother ahead of her surgery.

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai had dismissed the plea earlier this week.

Supreme Court Recently Reiterated ‘Bail Is the Rule’

The development also comes against the backdrop of recent observations made by the Supreme Court regarding bail under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

A bench of Justices B. V. Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan had recently raised concerns over earlier rulings denying bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots conspiracy case.

The bench stressed that even under UAPA, “bail is the rule and jail is the exception,” observing that constitutional protections under Articles 21 and 22 cannot be ignored.

The judges also remarked that lower courts cannot “dilute, circumvent or disregard” binding precedents laid down by larger Supreme Court benches.

Umar Khalid and several others have been booked under the UAPA and various sections of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.

The violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC).

More than 50 people were killed and hundreds injured during the riots, making it one of the deadliest episodes of communal violence in the national capital in recent years.