Lalit Vachani’s documentary on Khalid, titled “Prisoner No. 626710 is Present,” was shown at the Congress’s Jawahar Bhavan auditorium to commemorate the fourth anniversary of his arrest.
It’s been four years since rights activist Umar Khalid was arrested and thrown into jail without trial or bail. The former JNU research scholar is one of 12 people accused of conspiracy in a case related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
But what’s shocking is that despite the Supreme Court’s repeated emphasis on “bail being the rule and jail an exception”, Umar Khalid remains in jail. This is not just a violation of his rights, but a stain on our judicial system and India’s Constitution.
Many have taken to social media to express their outrage and solidarity with Umar Khalid. Actress Swara Bhasker tweeted, “Today marks 4 years of the incarceration of #UmarKhalid without bail, trial or crime. This is a travesty in a country supposed to be a democracy.”
Read More – India Rushes Aid to Flood-Hit Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar
Academic and activist Yogendra Yadav posted a video message, saying, “These four years are a stain on our judicial system and India’s Constitution.”
Umar Khalid’s friend Anupam shared a letter written by Khalid in 2022, while he was in Tihar jail during their movement against the Agnipath scheme. Anupam said, “As my friend Khalid completes four years in jail, I saw this beautiful letter he wrote to me when I was sent to Tihar jail. While I’ve been out of jail, he is still suffering injustice without trial or bail for no crime.”
This is not just about Umar Khalid’s individual plight, but about the state of our justice system and our democracy. It’s time for us to demand justice and freedom for those who have been unfairly targeted by the state.