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India top court denies bail to Muslim student activist
Khaleej Times
|January 06, 2026
India’s Supreme Court denied bail Monday for former student leader Umar Khalid, who has been detained for more than five years on charges of conspiracy to trigger deadly riots.
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Khalid, 38, was arrested in September 2020 under a sweeping anti-terrorism law and has remained in custody since, aside from brief releases to attend family weddings.
His case has become a touchstone for critics who say India’s more than 200 million Muslims face discriminatory treatment in the country.
Khalid was detained after February 2020 sectarian riots in Delhi when 53 people were killed —mostly Muslims, but also several Hindus.
This story is from the January 06, 2026 edition of Khaleej Times.
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