It was a joyful homecoming for the beleaguered Umar Khalid since he was locked behind jail bars four years ago in a case connected to the 2020 Delhi riots. His family experienced mixed emotions, that of fear of the unknown and optimism.
Under the Indian Penal Code, the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Khalid is charged with conspiring to incite riots in northeast Delhi between February 23 and February 25, 2020, which resulted in the deaths of 53 people and 700 injuries.
What did the respite, temporary though it may be, mean to Khalid and his family? Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, speaking to a section of the media at their home in Jamia Nagar, Delhi, observed that his son had become weak. Banojyotsna Lahiri, a Delhi-based researcher and close friend of Khalid, too expressed concerns over his weight loss.
But both believed Khalid had returned a transformed person from the one anxious and tormented person two years ago.
Khalid’s imprisonment related to the riots has been contentious, with his family and supporters labelling the charges as “fake.” The prosecution described him in the chargesheet as a “veteran of sedition” primarily owing to his alleged remarks as an activist.
Khalid’s bail pleas have been rejected three times—twice by the Karkardooma court and once by the Delhi High Court. He was granted interim bail once on December 23, 2022, but that was for a week.
Ilyas shared his feelings about his son’s time in prison, emphasising that being confined for four years must have been challenging for a public figure. He described how Khalid savoured every ray of sunlight during his brief return, likening it to someone emerging from a cave and appreciating the light.
For Khalid’s mother, this brief visit was also about preparing his favourite meals. Ilyas said that she cooked non-vegetarian dishes for him every day, especially his favourite mutton. His friends brought him burgers, pizzas, and cakes, and he also enjoyed cold drinks. Though Khalid never had food preferences, he found the jail’s watery dal tough to sustain himself. Ilyas wished Khalid could have home-cooked meals inside.
Apart from the food, the family was pleased that Khalid could enjoy sound sleep for six hours every day, something that was difficult for him in jail, where he had to sleep on the cold floor.
As part of his interim bail conditions, Khalid was only allowed to meet family members, relatives, and friends, and must remain at home. He was prohibited from using social media.
Ilyas mentioned that these restrictions were comparatively moderate compared to those imposed during his last interim bail two years ago, during which Khalid was confined indoors and struggled to sleep without medication.
Ilyas discussed the challenges Khalid faced in Tihar prison, mentioning that other prisoners perceived him as a terrorist, making it hard for him to change their opinions. However, when other inmates had court-related queries or needed help with English, they approach Khalid. He occasionally donated some of the money sent to him to poorer prisoners.
Ilyas and his wife preferred video calls—three times a week—over traveling to Tihar to visit their son. He explained that seeing Khalid’s blurry image through the glass after hours of travel was emotionally draining and the many restrictions at Tihar complicated the visits.
The family had a message for all well-wishers and supporters wanting to meet Khalid: they wished to keep him for family time. Ilyas noted that, besides relatives, only close friends from JNU were able to spend this week with him. He expressed his gratitude for the support his friends provided.
Banojyotsna described the atmosphere during Khalid’s visit, explaining that every day, a few friends gathered, and they shared laughter together.
Ilyas lamented that the trial would take 10 years and even if Khalid were acquitted, he would lose his social identity and real life by then. Banojyotsna summed up his plight aptly when he said that interim bail was a difficult thing. A week gets over in two days but the pain lasts forever.
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