Delhi Riots Case: Umar Khalid Granted 3-Day Interim Bail for Mother's Surgery

The Delhi High Court has granted three days of interim bail to Umar Khalid, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots case. Khalid, who has been in custody under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was granted this temporary relief to attend a post-death ritual for his uncle and to take care of his mother during her upcoming surgery.

The decision comes after Khalid appealed against a trial court’s earlier order which had rejected his bail application. The trial court had previously suggested that attending a family ceremony was not "necessary" enough to warrant temporary release, noting that other family members were available to help. However, a Bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain overturned this, allowing Khalid to be with his family from June 1 to June 3.

The court has set strict conditions for this brief release. Khalid is required to stay within the Delhi-NCR region and is primarily permitted to visit the hospital for his mother’s medical needs. This interim period is intended to provide him a small window of time to fulfill his familial duties before returning to custody.

Khalid was originally booked for his alleged role as a mastermind behind the February 2020 violence in Delhi. Those riots, which occurred amidst widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), tragically resulted in 53 deaths and left hundreds more injured. The case continues to be a point of significant public and legal discussion regarding the length of pre-trial detention.

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