Short Respite: Umar Khalid To Be Released On Interim Bail Today
After being granted a seven-day bail by a Delhi court on December 18, former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader and activist Umar Khalid is all set to walk out of jail today. Khalid has been in jail for over four years since he was arrested for his alleged role in the 2020 Delhi riots.
Despite requesting bail multiple times over the last four years, the activist, who is facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), has been granted bail only once for attending his sister’s wedding in 2022.
Read Also: Delhi Riots Case: Umar Khalid Gets 7-Day Interim Bail
Of late, Umar Khalid requested a ten-day bail, and the court has granted a seven-day interim bail to attend his cousin’s wedding function. The bail duration starts from today, December 28. Khalid has to return on January 3 to the jail as per the condition. Other conditions of the bail include restriction in using social media platforms and interaction with people.
On December 6, Khalid’s other attempt to get bail was rejected, and he has been asking for parity of treatment with co-accused Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha, and Ishrat Jahan, who were out on bail. While arguing for bail, Khalid’s lawyer had pointed out that during the violence that erupted in the CAA protests, the accused was not even in northeast Delhi and had advocated for the “Gandhian principle” of non-violence in his speeches.
Read Also: “Am I Just An Anniversary Event?”: Umar Khalid Asks
Khalid has been spending years in jail without even a trial, and he has been requesting bail on the grounds of an extended period of incarceration without getting an opportunity to get justice. Earlier, poet and journalist Kaushik Raj on social media had recounted his recent meeting with Khalid in jail. Raj shared an X post noting what Khalid asked him: “Am I just an anniversary event to the people? Why don’t they wake up with the thought of my persecution and sleep with it? Why are they not troubled with the fact that anybody can be put behind bars for years without trial?”
Despite there have been demands questioning the delay in trial and long imprisonment without trial, activist has been spending his youth years in jail.
