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

PrisonRights -A Delhi court has directed that jailed activist Umar Khalid be permitted to hold two video meetings with his family every week, restoring a facility that had reportedly been reduced earlier this year. The order came after his legal team informed the court that the number of weekly e-mulakats had been cut from two to one in May without any stated reason. The court observed that Khalid had consistently followed prison regulations while using the facility over the past several years.

Court Restores Earlier Communication Arrangement

Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai issued the direction while deciding an application filed on behalf of Khalid, who remains in judicial custody in connection with the alleged conspiracy case linked to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots. The court noted that the earlier arrangement of two weekly video interactions had been in place for nearly six years and that there had been no record of any breach of prison rules during that period.

In the order dated July 13, the judge stated that Khalid should be allowed to continue having two e-mulakats each week to communicate with his mother and other members of his family. The court found no material indicating that the previous arrangement had been misused or that there was any violation of the Delhi Prison Rules.

Defence Raised Concerns Over Reduced Access

During the hearing, Khalid’s counsel argued that the reduction in the number of permitted video meetings had affected his regular communication with family members. According to the application, the change was introduced in May this year without any explanation from the prison administration. The defence requested that the earlier schedule be reinstated, pointing out that the existing practice had continued for several years without any disciplinary issues.

The court took note of these submissions while reviewing the application and considered Khalid’s record of compliance with prison regulations before delivering its decision.

Jail Authorities Opposed the Request

Representatives of the jail administration opposed the plea before the court. They argued that the applicable prison rules provide for only one weekly video meeting between an inmate and family members. On that basis, the authorities submitted that Khalid was not entitled to two e-mulakats each week.

Despite these objections, the court concluded that Khalid’s uninterrupted record of following prison rules and his long-standing access to two weekly video calls justified restoring the earlier arrangement.

Case Continues Before the Courts

Umar Khalid has been in custody in connection with the investigation into the alleged larger conspiracy behind the violence that took place in northeast Delhi in 2020. The present order relates only to the conditions governing his communication with family members while in jail and does not address the merits of the criminal case pending against him.

The latest ruling highlights the court’s consideration of an inmate’s past conduct and adherence to prison regulations while deciding requests concerning communication facilities. The proceedings in the underlying case will continue independently in accordance with the legal process.