New Delhi: A Delhi court granted Khalid Saifi, who is in jail under the draconian law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 10 days' interim bail, Maktoob Media reported, citing Saifi’s partner Nargis Saifi.
Saifi, a human rights activist and an Anti-CAA activist, had sought 15 days’ bail after he cited the ill health of his younger son in his bail plea. In five years of being in jail, it is the first time Saifi has been granted interim bail. He was arrested in the Delhi riots case, The New Indian Express reported.
Saifi is the founder of the organisation United Against Hate. He was accused of a “larger conspiracy” linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. Saifi on Tuesday requested the Delhi High Court to examine whether the stringent UAPA can be applied against him merely for exchanging messages that are “innocuous”.
Last year, the Delhi HC had rejected a plea by Saifi challenging the invocation of the charge of attempted murder against him in a case related to communal riots of February 2020.
According to the TNIE, Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Saifi and several others were booked under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities Act and IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.