Umar Khalid Tells Partner ‘Ab Yahi Zindagi Hai’ In Emotional Exchange After Supreme Court Rejects Bail Plea

The Supreme Court of India rejected the bail plea of activist Umar Khalid on January 5, 2026. Umar is behind bars in the 2020 northeast Delhi riots conspiracy case. After hearing the decision of the top court, Umar gave an emotional response that was shared by his partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, the post has since gone viral and has gained widespread attention. The decision of the Supreme Court means that Khalid will continue to remain in custody the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). 

Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, posted a brief conversation with him on the social media platform X following the verdict. In it, Khalid said, “Ab yahi zindagi hai” (“This is life now”), which signals his acceptance of continued imprisonment. Lahiri shared that Khalid expressed happiness for other co-accused who were granted bail, saying, “I am really happy for the others, who got bail! So relieved.” She replied, “I’ll come tomorrow for Mulaqat,” to which Khalid said, “Good good, aa jana. Ab yahi zindagi hai.” 

The Supreme Court’s refusal to grant bail was grounded in its assessment that both Khalid and fellow activist Sharjeel Imam “stand on a qualitatively different footing” compared to some of the other accused, based on the allegations and evidence presented.

Umar Khalid’s five co-accused granted bail

While the court granted conditional bail to five other individuals, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shifa Ur Rehman, Mohammad Saleem Khan, and Shadab Ahmad, it held that the prima facie material against Khalid and Imam met the strict threshold under Section 43D(5) of the UAPA, which makes bail more difficult to obtain in terrorism-related cases. 

The ruling drew reactions from all over, several political figures gave their opinion on the verdict. Some people supported the court’s decision to deny bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam and said that it was a victory of the truth, while others expressed concern over the prolonged detention without trial.

Khalid has been in custody since September 13, 2020, and has been accused of playing a central role in the alleged conspiracy behind the violent riots in northeast Delhi that left many dead and injured. 

He and Imam have repeatedly challenged the charges and pursued bail applications in multiple courts, however, the Supreme Court’s latest decision said that “This court is satisfied that the prosecution material disclosed a prima facie allegation against the appellants Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The statutory threshold stands attracted qua these appellants. This stage of proceedings do not justify their enlargement on bail.”

Also Read: No Bail For Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam; Supreme Court Says They Can Reapply After One Year