New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that it will quickly decide the bail plea filed by activist Umar Khalid in a UAPA case in connection with the alleged conspiracy in the 2020 Delhi riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
A bench comprising justices A M Bopanna and M M Sundresh orally remarked that the court will decide the case whether the day is heavy or not, and added that this matter will take 1 or 2 minutes. The bench made this remark after the Delhi police counsel advocate Rajat Nair requested the court to grant him some time to file a counter affidavit in the matter.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Khalid, submitted that Khalid was behind bars for over two years and questioned what counter would be filed in a bail matter. Nair contended that the chargesheet runs into thousands of pages and urged the court to grant him some time to counter in the matter. The bench said the counter should have been ready by now. After hearing brief submissions, the top court scheduled the matter for a hearing on July 24.
Delhi police had arrested Khalid in September 2020 and charged him with criminal conspiracy, rioting, and unlawful assembly as well as several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). He has been in jail since then. In May this year, the apex court had sought Delhi Police’s reply on Khalid’s bail plea. Khalid had moved the apex court against the Delhi High Court order denying him bail. Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others have been booked under UAPA and other provisions of the IPC in connection with 2020 Delhi riots.
