The Supreme Court today adjourned the plea of the former JNU student Umar Khalid for challenging the order passed by the Delhi High Court which denied him bail on insistence by his counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal.
A bench comprising Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal showing immense displeasure, reluctantly deferred the hearing.
During the matter today, Kapil Sibal appeared asked for some more time in the matter.
The reason given by Sibal was hs due engagements with the constitution bench matters.
The bench however rejected the request. Justice Trivedi while refusing to grant exemption said,that Sibal had earlier said matter was not being heard, and now is asking for more time.
Pursuant to which the bench agreed to list the matter on January 17, 2023. However, Sibal further requested to let the matter be listed on January 24, 2023.
Kapil Sibal informed the court that A.S.G S.V Raju who was appearing for the State also was not available.
On November 29, 2023, both the counsels had jointly sought to adjourn the hearing of the matters due to the non-availability of the concerned Senior Advocates who are going to argue the matters.
The activist, who was arrested in September 2020 under the stringent provision of UAPA, has spent over two years and 11 months behind the bars.
Delhi Police had charged him with offences of criminal conspiracy, rioting and unlawful assembly. He was further booked under several Sections of UAPA.
The former JNU scholar moved the Apex Court against the Delhi High Court order of October 18, 2020, which refused to grant him bail in the case. The Division Bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Rajnish Bhatnagar had dismissed Khalid’s appeal after hearing arguments for more than 20 days.
Khalid had previously approached the High Court challenging the dismissal of his bail application by the Karkardooma court in March 2022.
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 has remained in jail since then.