Umar Khalid gets bail for sister's wedding, not allowed to use social media, will only meet...

Jailed JNU student Umar Khalid was granted an interim bail by a Delhi court on Thursday (Dec 11) to attend his sister's wedding. He is one of the accused in the 2020 Delhi riots. He will be out of jail from December 16 to 29. According to a report in Bar and Bench, the court has ordered Khalid not to use social media and to meet only his family members, relatives, and friends.

This came a month after the Indian Supreme Court, while listening to the bail plea of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others accused, was told that the Delhi riots in 2020 were "pre planned". Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the Delhi Police in the court on Tuesday (Nov 18) and argued that the riots were “pre-planned". They claimed that the accused had delayed the trial; hence, the five years in jail should not be the grounds for their bail.

The Delhi police also argued on October 30 that Khalid and his co-accused had used “sponsored” anti-CAA protests as a disguise and a “radicalising catalyst” to trigger nationwide communal riots.

The apex court scheduled the next hearing for November 20. Mehta said in his argument, “First of all, that myth to be busted. This was not a spontaneous riot. It was a well designed, well crafted, well orchestrated, pre-planned riot. That will emerge from the evidence collected."

“Speech after speech, statement after statement, there was attempt to divide the society on communal lines. It was not merely an agitation against some act," he added.

The apex court scheduled the next hearing for November 20. Mehta said in his argument, “First of all, that myth to be busted. This was not a spontaneous riot. It was a well designed, well crafted, well orchestrated, pre-planned riot. That will emerge from the evidence collected."

“Speech after speech, statement after statement, there was attempt to divide the society on communal lines. It was not merely an agitation against some act," he added.