Court rejects Umar Khalid’s bail plea to care for mother

A Delhi court on Tuesday dismissed the bail plea of jailed activist Umar Khalid, accused in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing Khalid’s application seeking 15 days of interim bail to attend the 40-day post-death ritual (Chehlum) of his uncle and take care of his mother, who has to undergo a surgery. Khalid and others were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), an anti-terror law, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the 2020 riots that left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured in northeast Delhi.

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