Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid, arrested last year under the draconian UAPA in connection with the anti-Muslim Delhi pogrom case, has tested positive for COVID-19 in Tihar Jail.
He has been isolated within the jail, where data provided by the authorities till April 23 shows that the prison has 227 active cases among inmates and 60 among jail staff, including a jail superintendent and two prison doctors.
A Delhi court on April 15 granted bail to Khalid in a case related to Northeast Delhi Pogrom. However, he remains in prison as he is yet to be granted bail in the UAPA case related to the Delhi riots.
On February 23, an anti-Muslim pogrom was unleashed in parts of North East Delhi, the worst the city has seen in decades. Over fifty people have lost their lives so far, hundreds have been injured, and thousands have been left homeless.
The violence began after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kapil Mishra lashed out at anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act sit-in protests in the area, giving the Delhi Police a three-day “ultimatum” to clear them.
Also read: Delhi Pogrom: A Timeline Of Killings, Indifference & Absolute Impunity
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