Former JNU student Umar Khalid has urged the Supreme Court to allow an open court hearing in his review petition against the denial of bail in the Delhi riots case. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, requested that the review be heard in open court instead of being decided in chambers.
Khalid has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's January 5 judgment, which denied him bail under the UAPA in the Delhi riots conspiracy case. A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria had held that the material on record disclosed a prima facie case against Khalid and co-accused Sharjeel Imam.
Khalid has been in custody since September 13, 2020, while Imam has been incarcerated since January 28, 2020. The court had granted relief to five co-accused, holding that the allegations against them were of a 'subsidiary or facilitative nature'.
The January 5 order had also imposed a restriction on Khalid and Imam, permitting them to renew their bail pleas only after the examination of protected witnesses or upon the completion of one year, whichever is earlier.
