What happened: Delhi High Court directs Delhi Police’s response and sets a joint hearing

The Delhi High Court asked Delhi Police to file a response within two weeks to activist Umar Khalid’s third bail application. A Bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Vikas Mahajan fixed the hearing of Khalid’s bail plea on 27 August, and the hearing date was also linked with the bail petition of co-accused Sharjeel Imam.

Khalid’s stand in the bail application

Umar Khalid told the court that his bail plea is his third such request since his arrest in September 2020. Khalid sought interim bail and argued that similar interim bail relief had been granted to other co-accused by the Supreme Court.

Delhi Police’s submissions: earlier trial-court rejection and possible clubbing of matters

Additional Solicitor General S. V. Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, submitted that a trial court order had rejected both Umar Khalid’s and Sharjeel Imam’s bail applications. The submission also indicated that the two bail matters could be taken together.

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