In a significant development on Friday, the Delhi High Court granted interim bail to Umar Khalid, who is accused in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, allowing him to visit his hospitalized mother. The court’s decision provides Khalid with a three-day window, from June 1 to June 3, to be by his mother’s side during her medical procedure.
The ruling was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Prathiba M Singh and Justice Madhu Jain. The court acknowledged the compassionate grounds presented, noting, “Taking an empathetic view of the matter that the appellant’s mother is to undergo surgery, the court is inclined to grant interim bail for a period of 3 days.”
Specific conditions were attached to this interim bail. Umar Khalid is required to reside at a designated address within the National Capital Region and is permitted to visit his mother solely in the hospital setting. The court emphasized that Khalid must not frequent any location other than the hospital and mandated that he use only one mobile phone number during this period. A personal bond and surety amounting to ₹1 lakh were also stipulated.
This interim relief comes after Khalid approached the High Court challenging a sessions court’s decision on May 19, which denied him bail. Khalid initially sought a 15-day interim bail, citing the need to care for his mother and participate in the Chehlum ritual of his recently deceased uncle.
During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing Delhi Police, expressed opposition to the bail plea. He argued that the surgery was relatively minor and suggested that Khalid’s five sisters could attend to their mother. Raju also proposed that Khalid could visit with a police escort for a limited duration.
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In response to inquiries about the medical necessity of the procedure, Khalid’s counsel, Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, clarified that the surgery involved the removal of a cyst on the back.
Umar Khalid has been in custody since September 2020, facing charges including criminal conspiracy, rioting, and unlawful assembly, under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Despite this interim bail, Khalid has yet to obtain regular bail in the ongoing legal proceedings.
