New Delhi, July 15: The Karkardooma Court in Delhi has granted relief to Umar Khalid, an accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case, by reinstating his family’s weekly video call privileges. The court ordered that Khalid can now have two video meetings (e-mulaqat) with his family each week.
The court noted that Khalid had been utilizing this facility without violating any jail rules for nearly six years. Therefore, there was no valid reason to reduce this privilege.
During the hearing, Khalid’s lawyer argued that since May 2026, the number of video meetings had been arbitrarily reduced from two to one without any explanation. The defense sought to restore the previous arrangement, deeming the reduction unjust.
After considering the arguments, the court directed that the facility for two weekly video calls with Khalid’s family be reinstated.
It is important to note that Khalid is currently in judicial custody under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case.
Previously, the Karkardooma Court had rejected regular bail applications for Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam. Both had sought bail for the second time, stating that since the Supreme Court dismissed their bail plea on January 5, 2026, there had been no significant progress in the trial, and they have been incarcerated for the past six years.
However, the court clarified that the Supreme Court had specified in its order that both accused could only file a new bail application after one year had elapsed or after the statements of the prosecution’s key witnesses were recorded. Since neither condition has been met, the bail application is not currently admissible.
The court also mentioned that the legal aspects related to bail are under consideration by a larger bench of the Supreme Court, and thus, the lower court cannot provide any relief until a final decision is reached.
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