New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to Delhi Police on the bail plea filed by JNU research scholar-activist Umar Khalid.
While issuing notice in the matter, a division bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Rajnish Bhatnagar said the speech delivered by Umar Khalid at Amravati, was “offensive and obnoxious”.
Khalid had approached the high court following the dismissal of his bail plea from a trial court in the alleged “larger conspiracy” behind the Delhi riots.
Seeking the stand of prosecution and to reply within three days, the bench posted the matter for further hearing on April 27.
During the course of the hearing, the court asked Khalid’s counsel about the speeches he delivered.
“Did Gandhiji ever employ this language? Did Shaheed Bhagat Singh ever employ such language? We have no qualms about permitting free speech but what are you saying?,” the bench asked.
Earlier in the trial court, Khalid’s counsel, opposing the charges under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA, had termed the charge sheet a “work of fiction”. He argued that the speech given by Khalid was about Gandhi, harmony, and the Constitution, and it was not a crime. After the submissions, the court had reserved the order.