New Delhi
In response to a bail request made by former JNU student activist and activist Umar Khalid, who is being held under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in connection with the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case, the Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed the hearing until January 10.
The case, along with a number of petitions contesting the UAPAs constitutionality, was scheduled for hearing on January 10, 2019, by a bench consisting of Justices Bela M. Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma. The bench also directed that pleadings be finished in the interim.
Both sides jointly requested an adjournment before the bench due to the unavailability of Khalids counsel, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, and additional solicitor general S.V. Raju.
Khalid had challenged the strict anti-terror laws provisions in a plea filed under Article 32 of the Constitution. The top court had previously tagged Khalids plea with other petitions that were already pending that challenged the UAPA.
In addition, the student activist had petitioned the Supreme Court for special leave in opposition to the Delhi High Courts denial of bail. Khalids appeal for regular bail was denied by a High Court bench consisting of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar in October of last year. Khalid has been incarcerated for over three years due to the larger conspiracy case involving the Delhi riots. He is facing charges under the UAPA for his alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy for Delhi communal violence that broke out in February 2020.
