Umar Khalid moves Delhi High Court (again) for bail in Delhi Riots conspiracy case

Umar Khalid has once again approached the Delhi High Court seeking bail in the Delhi Riots conspiracy case.

A Bench of Justices Prathiba M Singh and Vikas Mahajan will hear the matter on July 31.

Khalid has also filed an application seeking interim bail till the time the Supreme Court decides the question about whether Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty) applies against the strict statutory bar on bail under Section 43D(5) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

He has challenged the trial court order of July 4, which rejected his bail plea. In its order, the trial court observed that it was bound by the Supreme Court's earlier order of January 2026 rejecting Khalid's and Sharjeel Imam's bail pleas earlier this year.

"Importantly, this Court has no option but to follow the judgment dated 05.01.2026, as passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court, whereby the petitions of both the applicants were dismissed," noted the Court.

It further clarified that the Supreme Court's order had laid down specific conditions governing when they could seek bail again, leaving the trial court with no scope to entertain the present applications.

"In the said judgment, the Hon'ble Supreme Court, while dismissing the pleas of the applicants opined that only on the completion of the examination of the protected witnesses as relied upon by the prosecution, or upon the expiry of a period of one year from the date of said order, whichever is earlier, the applicants would be at liberty to renew their prayer for grant of bail before the jurisdictional Court. Thus, following the said order of the Hon'ble Supreme Court, this Court cannot entertain the applications and grant bail to the applicants," explained the Court.

Dismissing the pleas, the Court concluded,

"Infact the applications are not maintainable and they are hereby dismissed."

Khalid moved the sessions court for bail after a Supreme Court bench recently questioned the denial of bail to the duo in January 2026 by another bench of apex court.

Their application highlighted that despite the passage of more than 6 months since the Supreme Court’s judgment denying them bail, there has been no meaningful progress in the trial proceedings, with arguments on charge still remaining incomplete.

They argued that they have been in jail for nearly 6 years in the case.