Delhi riots: Supreme Court defers hearing on Umar Khalid’s bail plea in UAPA case to January 24

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New Delhi, January 10

The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned till January 24 the hearing on former JNU student Umar Khalid’s petition seeking bail in a UAPA case relating to ‘conspiracy’ behind the February 2020 communal riots in the national capital that left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

A Bench led by Justice Bela M Trivedi deferred the hearing after senior advocate Kapil Sibal sought adjournment on behalf of Khalid, saying he was busy in a Constitution Bench matter.

As Sibal said even Additional Solicitor General SV Raju was not available, the Bench expressed displeasure.

“He (Khalid) is in jail. How does it matter? We have never asked for time. Mr Raju said he is also not available. I am in a Constitution Bench matter. Kindly give us a week. It’s a reasonable request,” Sibal told the Bench.

“You have earlier said matter was not being heard. This is unnecessary; we can’t grant exemption to you,” the Bench said and went on to adjourn the matter to January 24. However, it said, “No further adjournment shall be granted on that day.”

The matter was listed along with petitions challenging certain provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On August 9 last year, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra of the Supreme Court had recused himself from hearing Khalid’s plea.

Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots during the visit of the then US President Donald Trump. The violence had erupted during the protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).