Delhi riots accused Khalid Saifi gets 6-day interim bail to attend family weddings

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday granted six days of interim bail to 2020 Delhi riots accused Khalid Saifi to attend family functions scheduled later this month.

Saifi, accused in a case related to the Feb 2020 northeast Delhi riots, had sought two weeks’ interim bail to attend family weddings. Granting limited relief, additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai noted that the baraat and nikah of Saifi’s nephew are scheduled for April 16, while the nikah and reception of his niece will be held on April 19.

“As these functions are important, the court can grant the desired relief to the applicant for attending these functions only,” the judge said.

Opposing the plea, the prosecution argued that Saifi was misusing the court process by repeatedly seeking interim bail on similar grounds.

After hearing both sides, the court observed that certain rituals such as haldi, bhat and challa did not require Saifi’s presence. However, it held that the nikah ceremonies and reception warranted limited relief.

The court directed Saifi to furnish a personal bond of Rs 20,000 with one surety, barred him from leaving Delhi-NCR and asked him not to contact prosecution witnesses or the media.