We will decide Umar Khalid's bail plea on July 24: Supreme Court

Saying that it will take only one or two minutes, the Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 12, decided to hear the bail plea filed by Umar Khalid in connection with the Delhi Riots case on July 24.

The Delhi Police sought time to respond to the petition and urged the SC to change the date, citing the heavy workload during the hearing to which, a Bench of Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh remarked, "We will decide whether the day is heavy or not...this matter will take 1 or 2 minutes".

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, said, "The man is inside jail for over two years now...what reply is needed in a bail case now?"

Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020 and charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly as well as several sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Khalid has remained in jail since then.

Delhi High Court, in October 2022, had denied bail to Khalid, saying he was in constant touch with other co-accused and allegations against him are prima facie true. Khalid along with another student leader, Sharjeel Imam and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the ''masterminds'' of the February 2020 riots.

53 people were killed and over 700 injured during the 2020 Delhi riots.

The violence erupted during the protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). The CAA was passed by the Modi government to provide Indian citizenship Hindu migrants who entered India from neighbouring countries on or before 31st December 2014

Khalid, arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020, had sought bail on grounds that he neither had any criminal role in the violence nor any ''conspiratorial connect'' with any other accused in the case.