2020 Delhi Riots: Umar Khalid Gets 13-Day Interim Bail from Court to Attend Sister’s Wedding
Delhi court had granted Umar Khalid interim bail from December 16 to 29 to enable him to attend his sister’s wedding under strict conditions
Khalid had originally sought bail from December 14 to December 29. His sister’s wedding is set for December 27
A Delhi Court on Thursday granted interim bail to Delhi riots conspiracy accused Umar Khalid so he can attend his sister’s wedding later this month.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Court allowed Khalid to remain on bail from December 16 to December 29.
The Court noted that the request was made for a genuine family event and permitted his temporary release on a personal bond of ₹20,000 with two sureties of the same amount.
The order restricts Khalid from using social media and directs him to meet only family members, relatives and friends during the bail period. He must remain at his home or at venues where the marriage ceremonies are scheduled.
Khalid had originally sought bail from December 14 to December 29. His sister’s wedding is set for December 27.
Khalid is charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the 2020 conspiracy case, along with Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and several others. His regular bail plea is pending before the Supreme Court after being rejected earlier by both the Delhi High Court and the trial court.
In November, the Delhi Police informed the Supreme Court that the trial of accused persons booked under UAPA in the 2020 riots case, including Khalid and Imam, could conclude within two years. The submission came as the police continued to oppose the bail pleas of Khalid, Imam and five others.
The prosecution noted that the initial chargesheet was filed on September 16, 2020, followed by a supplementary chargesheet on November 22, 2020. The ASG argued that Section 16(1)(a) of the UAPA prescribes a minimum five-year sentence for terrorist acts, extendable up to life imprisonment.
The Court will consider Khalid’s request for temporary release on December 11.
In a related, news, Khalid had moved the Supreme Court in September, for bail in the larger conspiracy case, related to the 2020 Delhi Riots. He moved the Court challenging the Delhi High Court's September 2, order denying bail to him.
The High Court had held “violence in the name of protest is not free speech” as it dismissed the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and seven others. A Division Bench of the High Court, in a detailed 133-page verdict had said,“Any conspiratorial violence under the garb of protests or demonstrations by the citizens cannot be permitted. Such actions must be regulated and checked by the State Machinery, as they do not fall within the ambit of the Freedom of Speech, Expression, and Association.” It had held that the role of Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid is prima facie grave in the entire conspiracy, noting that they had delivered inflammatory speeches on communal lines to instigate a mass mobilization of members of the Muslim community. The plea of parity with co-accused was also rejected. The judges had said that although others were present in conspiratorial meetings and WhatsApp groups, their role was “limited when juxtaposed with these Appellants.”
Notably on July 9, 2025, the High Court had reserved its verdict after briefly hearing submissions from the prosecution as well as from counsels representing the accused persons, namely Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Athar Khan, Khalid Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Shadab.
Imam’s bail plea, had been rejected by ASJ Sameer Bajpai on February 11, 2022, observing that his speeches were intended to create “public disorder” and “incitement to violence” while also appearing to challenge the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India. The Supreme Court had more recently refused to entertain Imam’s Article 32 petition, noting that he could not have approached the top court while his bail plea was pending before the High Court.
Umar Khalid is one of the most prominent accused named in FIR 59/2020. The charges allege he was a central conspirator who, through public addresses and online communications, helped plan and radicalise protests that the police say culminated in the northeast-Delhi violence; he is charged under the UAPA and multiple IPC and Arms Act provisions.
Bench: Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai
Hearing Date: December 11, 2025