The Delhi High Court on Friday granted three-day interim bail to activist Umar Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots case. Khalid, who is in custody under the anti-terror law UAPA, has been granted bail to meet his mother, who has to undergo surgery.
A bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Madhu Jain permitted Khalid to be released from June 1 to June 3 to enable him to meet his mother, while noting that the Supreme Court rejected Khalid's regular bail plea on January 5. However, it granted him the reprieve by taking an "empathetic view."
"Taking an empathetic view, this court is inclined to grant him interim bail for three days from June 1 to June 3 to enable the appellant to spend time with his mother," the court concluded.
Khalid had sought interim bail for 15 days to attend his mother’s surgery and for the Chehlum ritual after the death of his late uncle. However, the court observed that it was “not that necessary” for him to attend the ceremony of his deceased uncle and that other family members were available to take care of his mother.
The court granted Umar interim bail from 7 am on June 1 to 5 pm on June 3, subject to three conditions: a personal bond of ₹1 lakh, remaining within the NCR during this interim release period, staying at his home, and only visiting the hospital.
ASG S V Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, argued that Khalid's mother has to undergo a minor surgery and that his sisters can take care of her. Even otherwise, he added that Khalid can visit her and come back in a day, with a police escort.
Khalid was booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for being one of the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots that had left 53 people dead and more than 700 injured. The violence had erupted during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Activists Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, among others, were also booked for their alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy case, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police's Special Cell. On September 2, 2025, a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur denied bail to Imam, Khalid, Miran Haider and other accused in the case. The Supreme Court upheld the order in January.