2020 Delhi riots: Court defers order on Umar Khalid’s bail plea

New Delhi, March 23

A Delhi court on Wednesday deferred for Thursday its order on the bail plea of former JNU student Umar Khalid in a case of larger conspiracy in connection with Delhi riots in February 2020.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, who was scheduled to pronounce the order Wednesday, posted the matter for Thursday, saying it was not ready.

The court had reserved the order on March 3 after hearing arguments from the counsel appearing for Khalid and the prosecution.

During the argument, the accused had told the court that the prosecution lacked the evidence to prove its case against him.

Khalid and several others, have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA in the case for being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

The violence had erupted during the protests against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens.

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