After the Delhi High Court denied bail to activist Umar Khalid in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case, his partner Banojyotsna Lahiri said the Supreme Court is now their “only option", the PTI reported.
Khalid has been in jail since September 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has announced a solidarity march on September 13, marking five years since Khalid's arrest.
“Keeping someone in jail for five years without trial is itself a ground for bail. We’re disappointed by the court’s decision but remain hopeful. The fight for justice will now move to the Supreme Court,” Lahiri told PTI.
The High Court upheld a trial court order rejecting bail for Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and seven others, accepting the prosecution's claim that the riots were not spontaneous but the outcome of a “well-planned conspiracy.”
Khalid, a former JNU research scholar has been granted interim bail twice, in December 2022 and December 2024 for brief periods.
The February 2020 riots, which erupted amid anti-CAA protests, left 53 dead and over 700 injured.