US lawmakers urge India to grant bail, fair trial to Umar Khalid
New Delhi/Washington: A group of lawmakers from the United States has written to India’s Ambassador to the US, Vinay Kwatra, urging that activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University student Umar Khalid be granted bail and a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law.
The letter was signed by eight US Representatives, including Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin. In the communication, the lawmakers expressed concern over what they described as the prolonged pre-trial detention of individuals charged in connection with the February 2020 violence in Delhi, specifically referring to Khalid.
McGovern said he met Khalid’s parents in December and noted that Khalid has been in jail for more than five years without trial. Khalid and several others have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, along with provisions of the Indian Penal Code, for allegedly being part of a larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots, in which 53 people were killed and over 700 injured.
“The US and India share a long-standing strategic partnership that has historically been rooted in democratic values, constitutional governance and strong people-to-people ties,” the lawmakers wrote. They added that as the world’s largest democracies, both countries have a shared interest in protecting freedom, the rule of law, human rights and pluralism.
The lawmakers said they were raising the issue in this spirit, pointing out that several human rights organisations, legal experts and international media outlets have questioned the fairness of the investigation and legal process in Khalid’s case. They noted that Khalid has been denied bail for five years under the UAPA, which, they said, independent human rights experts have warned could contravene international standards related to due process, proportionality and equality before the law.
The US Representatives said they were aware that the matter is currently before the Supreme Court of India and welcomed the recent order granting Khalid temporary bail to attend his sister’s wedding. They urged that he be released on bail for the duration of the court proceedings.
“With respect for India’s democratic institutions and its role as a key partner of the United States, we request that your government share the steps being taken to ensure that the judicial proceedings against Khalid and his co-accused who remain in detention meet international standards,” the letter said.
Earlier this month, I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over 5 years without trial. @RepRaskin & I are leading our colleagues to urge that he be granted bail & a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law. pic.twitter.com/tBIbG1aOwc
— Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) December 30, 2025
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Odisha Police arrests key accused in Rs 40-crore investment fraud
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Odisha Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has arrested the prime accused in a Rs 40-crore trading fraud, an officer said on Friday.
The accused, identified as Amit Mandal of West Bengal's Bankura, was arrested from his home district on December 31, the officer said.
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After producing him in a local court there, Mandal was brought to Odisha on Friday, the EOW officer said.
The arrest was made in connection with a case registered on December 29 at the EOW police station on the basis of a complaint lodged by Sushant Kumar Das of Khurda district.
The complainant alleged that Mandal and his associates induced him to invest in share trading by promising high monthly returns ranging from 3.5 to 7 per cent per month.
Das had reportedly deposited Rs 8.5 lakh during 2022–2024.
According to police, Mandal induced around 500 depositors from Odisha and 100 from West Bengal between 2020 and 2024 and collected over Rs 120 crore, of which over Rs 40 crore is yet to be returned to investors.
"Initially, he paid monthly returns of depositors. However during 2023, Mandal failed to pay the returns and falsely assured the depositors that their money will be re-invested in his newly formed company. But suddenly he went missing before being arrested in Bankura district," the official said.
According to the EOW, the accused had been collecting deposits in his personal bank accounts maintained with two banks. "Scrutiny of one bank account revealed transactions amounting to Rs 122 crore. Other accounts are under verification," the officer said.
