Newly sworn-in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has reached out to Umar Khalid, the former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist who has spent nearly five years in jail in connection with the February 2020 Delhi riots, according to Khalid’s family.
The undated letter was shared by Khalid’s partner, Banojyotsna Lahiri, following Mamdani’s historic inauguration as the first Muslim mayor of the nation’s largest city. At 34, Mamdani is also among the youngest leaders ever to take the helm of New York City.
“Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often and the importance of not letting it consume one’s self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you,” as the letter read.
Khalid was taken into custody in September 2020 and charged under India’s Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for allegedly plotting to incite the Delhi riots. He has been held at Tihar Jail in Delhi ever since. Recently, the Karkardooma Court granted him temporary bail so he could attend his sister Ayesha Fatima Syeda’s wedding on Dec. 27. He returned to custody and surrendered to authorities on Dec. 29.
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Khalid’s father, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, had earlier met Mamdani during a visit to the United States in early December. The meeting reportedly took place while Ilyas was in the country to visit his daughter.
Meanwhile, eight Democratic lawmakers in the United States have written to India’s ambassador in Washington, calling for bail and a fair, time-bound trial for Khalid. In the letter, the lawmakers raised concerns over his prolonged detention without trial under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, pointing to broader questions around due process and international legal norms.
The letter, spearheaded by U.S. Representatives Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin, calls on Indian authorities to grant Khalid bail and ensure that his trial begins without further delay.
In addition to McGovern and Raskin, the letter was signed by Democratic lawmakers Chris Van Hollen, Peter Welch, Pramila Jayapal, Jan Schakowsky, Rashida Tlaib and Lloyd Doggett.
While stressing their “respect for India’s democratic institutions,” the lawmakers questioned how Khalid’s continued detention without the start of a trial aligns with international legal standards and principles of due process.
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The Representatives also asked why judicial proceedings have yet to begin more than five years after Khalid’s arrest. In their letter, they urged New Delhi to guarantee due process and ensure that his case is taken up without further delay.
They raised broader concerns about the extended use of pretrial detention under India’s anti-terror law, warning that such practices carry serious implications for civil liberties.
McGovern later echoed the appeal in a social media post, noting that he had met Khalid’s parents in Washington earlier this month. “Earlier this month, I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over five years without trial,” McGovern wrote.
He added that he and Raskin were taking the lead in pressing Indian authorities to grant Khalid bail and ensure a fair, timely trial, stressing that the process should meet international legal standards.