A Delhi court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to provide security to former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid in the jail premises, after he was sent to 14-days judicial custody in connection with a case relating to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

Khalid was arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police on October 1 and sent to three-day police custody. His police custody ended on October 4, following which he was remanded to judicial custody at Tihar jail.

His counsel, Sanya Kumar and Rakshanda Deka, filed an application before the court seeking security for their client, permission to wear spectacles, leave jail cell, availability of books and reading material.

On this, Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha of Tihar court complex stated, “I am of the opinion that the accused should be provided these facilities as per relevant rules. In view of the same concerned Jail Supdt. is hereby directed to provide adequate security to the accused taking proper precautions that no harm should be caused and to provide the other facilities asked for by the accused.”

On September 13, he was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in another case related to the riots and is accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to cause communal unrest by inciting people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens.

He is currently in judicial custody in connection with this case, too. The riots had left 53 people dead and 748 injured.