Court directs jail staff to allow Khalid to step out of cell as per rules

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Friday extended the judicial custody of former JNU student Umar Khalid and PhD scholar Sharjeel Imam, both of whom have been charged under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the Delhi riots earlier this year, by another 30 days till November 20.

Khalid and Imam's judicial custody was extended earlier on September 24 and October 1 respectively till October 22.

Appearing before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat through video conference, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad moved an application to continue the judicial remand for both the accused as part of an ongoing police investigation into the cases involving them.

Advocate Trideep Pais, on behalf of Khalid, argued that the latter has cooperated throughout the investigation while claiming that the remand application had the same points raised in the previous ones which he said showed that the application was "mechanical and displays no application of mind".

Meanwhile, Advocate Surabhi Dhar, appearing for Sharjeel Imam submitted that her client was already in custody at the time when the purported incident is said to have taken place and hence argued against the extension of remand.

During the hearing, the ASJ Rawat was also apprised of the grievance raised by Khalid on Thursday, where he said that he was being kept in "solitary confinement" in the garb of providing security, by the Jail Superintendent who denied the allegations and filed a reply stating that Khalid is being provided with all the facilities as per protocol.

When asked, Khalid submitted that after Thursday's order, he was taken out of his cell by the jail staff and allowed greater mobility. "Before this there was an order by Additional Superintendent Pradeep Sharma which barred me from leaving my cell despite several pleas," he told the court.

Referring to treatment meted out to Khalid, Pais asked "Is he a zoo animal where other people can see him and he can see others"?

Subsequently, ASJ Rawat ordered the jail staff to take stock of the situation and said that it was bound by the submissions made today (Friday) where they will allow Khalid to move freely during the given timings of "sunrise till 12 pm and 3 pm till sunset" and ensure that the grievance does not occur again. During the hearing, Khalid also asked for his books to be sent to his cell through speed post along with warm clothes in view of the onset of winters.