A Delhi court has granted 13-day interim bail to activist Khalid Saifi, an accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots “larger conspiracy” case, to allow him to attend his nephews’ wedding and spend time with his family during the holy month of Ramadan.
The interim bail has been granted from February 6 to February 18 by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of the Karkardooma Court. Saifi, the founder of advocacy group United Against Hate, has been in jail since February 2020.
While allowing the temporary release, the court imposed strict conditions. In its order dated January 29, the court said, “The applicant, upon his release, shall not get in touch with any of the witnesses. Further, the applicant shall not leave the territory of Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR), during the period of his interim bail.”
The judge also barred Saifi from speaking to the media or using social media. “The applicant shall not contact the media and will not do any activity or put any material on social media at any cost,” the court said.
The bail was granted on furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 along with two sureties of the same amount.
Khalid Saifi is a key accused in FIR 59/2020, popularly known as the larger conspiracy case, which is being investigated by the Delhi Police Special Cell under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The case relates to the communal violence that broke out in Northeast Delhi in February 2020, leaving 53 people dead and hundreds injured.
According to the prosecution, Saifi allegedly attended secret meetings where funding for weapons was discussed and played a role in organising protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that later turned violent. Police have also accused him of receiving money to procure firearms, instructing protesters to disable CCTV cameras, and organising a “celebratory” meeting after the riots to allegedly plan a cover-up.
Saifi has denied all the allegations. His defence has maintained that he was involved only in peaceful protests and social activism, and has said that the case against him is politically motivated.
The interim bail comes at a time when the trial in the larger conspiracy case continues to face long delays. More than five years after the riots, the case is still at the stage of arguments on the charge. The prosecution has listed nearly 900 witnesses, raising concerns among legal experts about how long the trial may take to conclude.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court granted regular bail to five other accused in the same case. However, Khalid Saifi, along with Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, continues to remain in custody as the courts examine the seriousness of the allegations against them.
