New Delhi, April 9 A Delhi court on Thursday granted six days of interim bail to Khalid Saifi, an accused in the 2020 Delhi riots, to attend family functions scheduled this month.
Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai was hearing the bail application filed by Saifi, the founder of United Against Hate, seeking two weeks of interim bail to attend the weddings of his niece and nephew, and allowed his plea to attend the family functions.
In an order today, the court said, "The wedding of the applicant's nephew will take place on April 16, 2026, and the weddings of his niece and the reception for both will be on April 19, 2026. Since these events are important, the court can grant the applicant the relief he seeks to attend these functions."
Opposing the bail application, Special Public Prosecutor Anirudh Mishra submitted that the accused was misusing the court process by repeatedly seeking the same relief on the same grounds.
"The applicant had previously obtained interim bail on two occasions, i.e., on October 13, 2025, and again on January 29, 2026, on the same grounds – the family wedding ceremony. He cannot be allowed to repeatedly seek this liberty," he argued before the court.
After considering the submissions, the court observed that some of the ceremonies mentioned in the application, such as the Haldi, Bhat, and Challa rituals, did not require Saifi's presence.
However, the court held that the Nikah ceremonies and reception scheduled on April 16 and 19 were significant family events warranting limited relief.
The court then granted interim bail, subject to Saifi furnishing a personal bond of Rs 20,000 with one surety of the same amount.
It also directed Saifi not to leave the Delhi-NCR region during the bail period, to keep his mobile phone switched on, and not to contact prosecution witnesses or the media.
Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24, 2020, following violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and protesters, which spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 700 injured.
According to an FIR registered at the Jagat Puri police station, a mob had assembled in Masjidwali Gali in Khureji Khas area of northeast Delhi on February 26, 2020.
The crowd refused to obey the police's order to disperse, and assaulted police personnel, the FIR said, adding that someone also "fired a gunshot" at head constable Yograj.
According to the prosecution, Saifi and former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan had instigated the "unlawful assembly".