New Delhi, Mar 24 (PTI) A Delhi court on Thursday denied bail to former Jawaharlal Nehru University [JNU] student Umar Khalid in a case of larger conspiracy in connection with Delhi riots during February 2020. Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had reserved the order on March 3 after hearing arguments from the counsel appearing for Khalid and the prosecution.During the arguments, the accused told the court that the prosecution lacked the evidence to prove its case against him.Khalid and several others have been booked under the anti-terror law the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case for being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.The violence had erupted during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.Besides Khalid, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain and several others have also been booked under the stringent law in the case. Some of the accused have been granted bail over the last year, but most of them continue to remain incarcerated.
