NEW DELHI: Justice Amit Sharma of the Delhi High Court on Monday recused himself from hearing the bail plea of former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Umar Khalid in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case.
The case was scheduled for a hearing before a Division Bench comprising Justices Prathiba M Singh and Amit Sharma.
Justice Sharma’s decision to recuse marks the second time he has stepped back from cases related to the 2020 Delhi riots. Previously, he had recused himself from hearing bail petitions filed by JNU scholar Sharjeel Imam, human rights activist Meeran Haider, and other accused in the riots case.
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 on charges of criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly, and several other offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Since his arrest, Khalid has remained in custody, and this was his second round of bail plea attempts.
Khalid’s initial bail plea was denied by the trial court in March 2022, prompting him to approach the High Court. However, in October 2022, the High Court, too, denied him bail, leading Khalid to file an appeal with the Supreme Court, which in May 2023 sought a response from the Delhi Police on the matter. Despite 14 adjournments, Khalid’s plea remained unresolved.
In February 2024, Khalid withdrew his bail plea from the Supreme Court, citing a change in circumstances. A Supreme Court bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal was set to hear the matter on February 14 when Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Khalid, informed the Court of the withdrawal.
Khalid’s second bail petition was rejected by the trial court on May 28. With Justice Amit Sharma’s latest recusal, the path forward for Khalid’s bail plea remains uncertain, prolonging his time in custody as the legal battle continues.
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