• Source:JND

A Delhi court on Saturday discharged JNU student leader Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi in one of the key cases that led to the 2020 Delhi riots.

However, despite being discharged in this case, both Khalid and Saifi will continue to remain in jail as they have failed to receive bail in the Delhi riots' larger conspiracy case.

According to the LiveLaw website, the Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala pronounced the order today in FIR 101/2020 registered at Police Station Khajuri Khas. However, a copy of the order is awaited.

Khalid, who was arrested in September 2020, insisted that he had no "criminal role" or "conspiratorial connection" with any other accused in the case that sparked violence in the city's north-east.

Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and many others have been booked under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other provisions of the IPC for allegedly being the “mastermind” of the February 2020 riots.

Umar Khalid’s father, responding to the court’s decision, said, “We are very pleased to hear this order, we are very happy. The charge sheet was fabricated and concocted. Umar has got discharged in FIR 101/2020, but he is yet to receive bail in FIR 59/2020. Both the FIRs have very similar charges but only because FIR 59 has UAPA attached to it, Umar has not been granted bail there. But now, we are hopeful that he will get bail in FIR 59 as well,” as quoted by The Quint.

Khalid Saifi’s wife nargis told The Quint, “After more than two and a half years, this is a huge victory for us. Finally, some good news. We have kept faith in the constitution, and today, we are very happy. The baseless allegations of the police have been shown to be false by the court.”