New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday denied bail to activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid, in the “larger conspiracy” case related to the 2020 riots.
Khalid’s bail application was based on arguments of delay in proceedings and parity with other accused who had been granted bail.
Special Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts had reserved the order on the bail application on May 13 before delivering the rejection on Tuesday.
Khalid’s advocate, Trideep Pais, had also argued that not a single statement by witnesses relied on by the prosecution attracted a terrorism charge against him. “The accused has not committed any terrorist act… There is not a single seizure from him,” he said.
Tridip Pais also questioned the submissions of Delhi Police and asked “Is sharing messages a criminal or terror act?”
He also responded to submissions earlier made by the Special public prosecutor (SPP) who had said that Khalid was amplifying his narrative as part of a conspiracy by sharing certain links with people from politics and others on social media. Pais argued that Umar Khalid was sharing the ‘correct narrative’.
Opposing the “media trial”, citing instances of anchors reading from the charge sheet on news channels, he had stressed the need for a thorough examination of witnesses and evidence to determine the validity of the terror charges against Khalid. He also criticised the prosecution for “lack of substantial evidence”.
He had also underlined the chilling effect of anti-terror laws on freedom of expression, saying that individuals who speak out are being silenced under the pretext of national security.
The Delhi Police had objected to granting bail to Khalid, alleging that he has a history of manipulating social media narratives to influence bail hearings.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad had informed the court that Khalid engaged with actors and politicians to amplify his narrative to create public sympathy, framing it as part of a “larger conspiracy”. (with agencies inputs)