Umar Khalid Goes Back to Trial Court, Moves Petition for Regular Bail

New Delhi: After facing 14 adjournments in Supreme Court on the hearing of his bail application, former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar-activist Umar Khalid on Thursday moved the trial court in Karkardooma for regular bail.

Khalid had withdrawn his bail petition in the country’s top court on February 14, 2024, which was being heard by a  bench of Justice Bela Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal.

The former JNU student has been in jail since September 2020 in an alleged conspiracy case related to the communal violence in Northeast Delhi in February 2020.

Since the past four years, Khalid has been awaiting trial under the draconian UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act) for his alleged involvement in the violence.     

On Thursday, in the Karkardooma court, his plea was heard by additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai. Thereafter, the case was listed for hearing on March 11, according to a report in Bar & Bench.

According to Bar & Bench, a Karkardooma court denied bail to Khalid in March 2022, who then approached the High Court which also denied him relief in October 2022, prompting him to file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

In May 2023, the Supreme Court sought the response of the Delhi Police in the matter.

Khalid’s bail hearing has seen 14 adjournments in the Supreme Court since, despite Chief Justice of India D Y Chadrachud’s ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ comment at an event expressing displeasure at repeated adjournments.

The student leader did not receive a “single substantive bail hearing in 2023” as well as in 2024, when it came up for hearing on January 10, 24, 31, and February 1, 7 and 14 (when the petition was withdrawn).

While withdrawing the bail petition from the top court, his counsel Kapil Sibal had informed the bench that the petition was being withdrawn in view of the “changed circumstances”, adding that “we will try our luck in the trial court.” After which the bench deemed the petition as withdrawn