New Delhi: A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging various provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) by Umar Khalid, the former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar and activist currently incarcerated in connection with the Delhi riots larger conspiracy case.
A bench comprising Justices Aniruddha Bose and Bela M Trivedi, on Friday, tagged Khalid’s petition with earlier petitions that challenge the constitutionality of UAPA provisions. Khalid, who has been in custody for over three years since September 2020, awaits trial under the UAPA for his alleged involvement in the larger conspiracy related to the communal violence that erupted in Delhi in February 2020.
During the hearing, Justice Bose queried Khalid’s lawyer, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, asking why multiple writ petitions were filed instead of consolidating them into one. Sibal explained that the matter was of constitutional significance, and multiple incidents necessitated multiple petitions. He argued that having multiple petitions allowed them to demonstrate the widespread impact of the issues raised.
Responding to Sibal, Justice Bose acknowledged the importance of the case and noted that a single petition addressing crucial issues would be duly heard.
In addition to the UAPA challenge, Khalid has also filed a bail petition related to the case, which is scheduled for a hearing on November 1.
