Delhi Court Restores Umar Khalid’s Two Weekly Family Video Calls

New Delhi, July 16,2026 Balancing humanitarian considerations with prison security, a Delhi court has permitted activist Umar Khalid to continue having two supervised video meetings (e-mulakats) with his family every week. The order comes in the ongoing proceedings related to the larger conspiracy case connected to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, reaffirming the importance of family contact for prisoners who comply with jail regulations. The order was passed by Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Court while hearing Khalid's application seeking restoration of the facility. His counsel submitted that he had been allowed two weekly e-mulakats since the beginning of his incarceration, but the number was reduced to one from May 2026 without any stated reason, despite there being no violation of prison rules on his part. The jail authorities opposed the plea, citing the Delhi Prison Rules, while Delhi Police also raised security concerns over regular communication. After considering the submissions, the court observed that supervised video meetings would sufficiently address security concerns while taking humanitarian aspects into account. The court further noted that Khalid had complied with prison regulations during his incarceration. "Since the applicant has been using two e-mulakats in a week for the last six years and has not violated any rule of the Delhi Prisons Rules, the applicant is allowed to have two e-mulakats per week for the purpose of talking to his mother and other family members," the court said. Umar Khalid is facing trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the February 2020 northeast Delhi riots. He has been in jail for around six years. The riots, which occurred during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), claimed 53 lives and left more than 700 people injured. The trial in the larger conspiracy case is continuing.