Umar Khalid's Ongoing Legal Battle: Four Years in Jail Amid Controversy

Former JNU student and activist Umar Khalid has spent four years in jail after being arrested in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. Despite multiple court proceedings and dismissals of his bail pleas, Khalid remains incarcerated under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, with ongoing challenges to its constitutional validity.

Former JNU student and activist Umar Khalid has completed four years in jail after being arrested in connection with the 2020 northeast Delhi communal riots.

Violence erupted in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, after clashes between supporters and opponents of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, resulting in 53 deaths and around 200 injuries. An initial case against Khalid was dropped in December 2022, but he remains imprisoned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly masterminding the riots.

Khalid's multiple bail applications have been rejected by various courts, and his appeal against these rejections is currently pending in the Supreme Court, along with a challenge to the constitutional validity of UAPA provisions.

(With inputs from agencies.)