Umar Khalid completes 4 years in jail; no sign of trial or bail
EdexLive Desk
Umar Khalid was arrested by the Delhi Police on September 14, 2020, for allegedly making “provocative speeches” during former United States of America President Donald Trump’s visit to India, and instigating riots in Northeast Delhi
He is currently being held at the Tihar Jail as an undertrial, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
When Khalid applied for bail in the Delhi High Court, his plea was rejected first in July 2021, and then in March 2022
He then appealed to the Supreme Court in May 2023, and his bail hearing came up multiple times but was never heard — until eventually being dropped off the cause list
Umar Khalid first gained the spotlight after he was booked by the Delhi Police for sedition with Kanhaiya Kumar in 2016 after they protested against the hanging of Afzal Guru
In 2018, there was also an assassination attempt against him, which he narrowly escaped. The assailant claimed in a video uploaded before the attempt that it was an “Independence Day gift to India"
The Delhi Police made over 2,000 arrests after the riots, among whom 18 people were accused of planning a “larger conspiracy”
Several student leaders, including Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider are among the 18 people