Delhi's Karkadooma court on Thursday denied bail to former JNU student Umar Khalid in a case of larger conspiracy in connection with Delhi riots during February 2020.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had reserved the order on March 3 after hearing arguments from the counsel appearing for Khalid and the prosecution. Khalid’s bail order had been deferred thrice. Rawat, who was scheduled to pronounce the order on Monday, posted the matter for Wednesday instead, saying the court was not ready.
During the arguments, the accused told the court that the prosecution lacked the evidence to prove its case against him.
Khalid and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law UAPA in the case for being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.
The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens.
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 by Delhi Police under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on the suspicion of plotting to incite communal unrest in Delhi during US President Donald Trump's visit to India.
Besides Khalid, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and several others have also been booked under the stringent law in the case.
Khalid was also charged with sedition and 18 other sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and attempt to murder.
- With inputs from PTI
