The Delhi High Court has granted activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid interim bail from June 1 to June 3 in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
The relief was granted in view of his mother’s scheduled surgery, per a report by Hindustan Times.
Khalid had approached the high court after a trial court rejected his plea for temporary bail on May 19. In his petition, he had sought 15 days of interim bail from May 22 to June 5 to attend the Chehlum ceremony of his deceased maternal uncle and to care for his mother, who is expected to undergo lump excision surgery on June 2, per HT.
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What Umar Khalid argued in court
In his appeal, Khalid challenged the observations made by the trial court, which had said his uncle was not an “immediate relation” and that other family members could look after his mother.
Khalid argued these observations were “incorrect and unsubstantiated”. He told the court that he shared a close relationship with his late uncle and also wished to spend time with his 87-year-old grandmother during the mourning period.
According to the plea, Khalid’s mother, Sabiha Khanam, has been dealing with lumps and cyst formation on her back for the past two years and was advised surgery earlier this month, HT reported.
Khalid further said his 71-year-old father was unable to care for her alone. The petition added that, as the eldest child and only son, he wanted to assist his mother before and after the surgery.
Trial court had rejected earlier plea
The trial court had earlier dismissed Khalid’s request, stating that the reasons cited were “not reasonable”. The prosecution had opposed the plea, arguing that the surgery was a minor medical procedure and that other relatives were available to assist the family.
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Khalid also informed the court that he had previously been granted interim bail in 2022, 2024 and 2025 for family-related matters and had complied with all bail conditions on each occasion.
He has remained in custody since September 2020 in the larger conspiracy case linked to the northeast Delhi riots.
