Human rights activist Khalid Saifi, jailed for the past five years under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), was granted a few hours of parole on Thursday, March 27, allowing him a rare visit to his family to break his Ramadan fast at home.
Saifi, the co-founder of the activist group United Against Hate, was arrested in March 2020 in connection with the Delhi pogrom case. His legal team have consistently maintained that there is no concrete evidence against him and that he has been wrongfully detained under draconian laws.
Saifi arrived home around 3 PM and was required to return to prison by 9 PM, his wife, Nargis Saifi, told Maktoob.
A video shared on social media showed his family welcoming him with rose petals as he stepped into his home for the first time in five years. The most heart-wrenching moment came when he met his elderly mother, who broke down upon seeing him.
“She kept crying and told him, ‘When will you come back? I can’t even visit you. Will I be gone before you return?” Nargis recounted.
“Saifi noticed his mother’s untrimmed nails and asked why she hadn’t cut them. She replied simply, ‘You used to cut them for me.’ Without a word, he took her hands and trimmed her nails, just as he had before his arrest.”
His daughter, who was observing a fast, was also present during the emotional reunion. The family shared iftar before Saifi was escorted back to prison.
Saifi has filed a bail petition in the Delhi High Court, with his legal team arguing that there is no substantial evidence linking him to the February 2020 violence. His lawyer, Rebecca John, stressed in court that his mere presence at a protest site should not justify invoking the UAPA.
She also sought parity with the co-accused – Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha – who are out on bail in the case, and said a speedy trial was a constitutionally protected right which ought to be considered.
“Delay is a fact that can be considered by a constitutional court notwithstanding the provisions prohibiting bail.. When you have such an onerous provision, it is the duty of court to see whether protest against what was seen as an unfair law tantamounts to terrorist act,” said John.
Saifi was the organiser of a protest site in Khureji Khas, which was peaceful, and there was no recovery of any weapon or money or incriminatory protest material from him, John submitted to the High Court.
“The prosecution has no solid proof that Khalid Saifi engaged in any terrorist activity or conspiracy,” John argued.
 Act (UAPA), was granted a few hours of parole on Thursday, March 27, allowing him a rare visit to his family to break his Ramadan fast at home.){kind=link}