New Delhi: Umar Khalid, former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist, was released from jail on Friday after a court granted him interim bail to attend his sister’s wedding.
Khalid was released at 7 am today from Tihar Jail where he was lodged after being booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other charges.
Umar is facing charges allegedly for being a mastermind of the 2020 Delhi riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured, according to the News Minute.
The violence erupted during the long-drawn protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Handing out the order, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat detailed that the interim bail would start from December 23 and end on December 30, requiring Umar to surrender the same day.
Since September 2020 Umar has been in custody. A special bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar denied him bail on October 18. Again on November 18, Umar approached Delhi court for interim bail.
Delhi Police previously opposed Umar’s bail application citing he might spread misinformation via social media and cause unrest in the society.