The Supreme Court on Wednesday adjourned the hearing in the bail plea filed by activist Umar Khalid in connection with the Delhi Riots conspiracy case due to non-availability of counsel on both sides. [Umar Khalid v. State of NCT of Delhi].
A Bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Satish Chandra Sharma adjourned the hearing to after Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal representing Khalid as well as Additional Solicitor General SV Raju for the Delhi Police were unavailable.
The Bench proposed to list the matter next week. However, since Sibal will be arguing before a Constitution Bench, the Court adjourned the matter to January.
Khalid has moved the top court challenging an October 2022 Delhi High Court judgment denying bail to him.
He was arrested by the Delhi Police in September 2020 and charged with criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly as well as several other offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
He is remained in jail since then.
A Karkardooma court had denied bail to him in March 2022. Khalid then approached the High Court, which also denied him relief, prompting the appeal before the top court.
The apex court in May this year issued notice to the Delhi Police on the bail plea.
In July, the Bench hearing the matter stated that the hearing will be wrapped up within two minutes.
In August, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra recused from hearing the plea.
On August 18, the matter was adjourned, so as to be listed on a non-miscellaneous day (Tuesdays, Wednesday or Thursdays) when lengthy hearings take place.