Delhi riots: Court extends judicial custody of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam till March 1

In yet another extension, a Delhi court on Tuesday, furthered the judicial custody of ex-JNU student leaders Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in the Delhi riots conspiracy case till March 1. Delhi police have filed a 17,000-page charge sheet and a 1000-page charge sheet naming Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan, Danish, Parvez, Ilyas,  'United Against Hate' chief Khalid Saifi, Congress ex-councillor Ishrat Jahan, Tahir Hussain, RJD youth wing’s Meeran Haider, Pinjda Tod activists Gulfisha Fatima, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita as accused of 'criminal conspiracy' - leading to Delhi riots which killed 53 in February 2020. All accused have been denied bail repeatedly and are currently in jail.

Custody till March 1

 Delhi police's claims in chargesheet

The police charge sheet claimed that Pinjra Tod activists had brought 300 women from the Jahangirpuri area of Delhi to the anti-CCA protest site in Jafarabad via seven buses, allegedly paying them. These protestors allegedly took on the deployed police forces by use of chilli powder, crushed glass bottles and stones which led to riots, it alleged, injuring Jahangirpuri ACP and DCP.  It also claims that  Khalid urged people to rope in Rohingya immigrants for the anti-CAA protests, according to a protected witnesses' statement.

The police have named Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Faizan Khan as the main accused for allegedly planning the riots to 'distract attention from Donald Trump's visit', under the UAPA act. "Umar Khalid, with his intellectual acumen, knew very well that a large majority of Indian Muslims will never subscribe to the perverted definition of Islam being exposed by his disciple Sharjeel Imam and no amount of rhetoric and obfuscation of facts will be enough to brainwash the Indian Muslims into actually believing that CAA would question their nationality," stated the chargesheet. The above-mentioned accused have been charged under several sections of  Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and several sections of IPC including - rioting, murder, criminal conspiracy which has a maximum sentence of death penalty.

Delhi riots: Court grants interim protection from arrest to two persons in 7 cases

Delhi riots

Clashes began between CAA supporters and anti-CAA groups in Northeast Delhi on February 23, as both camps resorted to stone-pelting after Shaheen Bagh-like protests started in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. The situation deteriorated even as Delhi Police was present at the spot as houses, shops, and buses were burnt. While the Home Minister reviewed the situation on February 24  and 25 - as US President Donald Trump visited India, the violence increased killing 53 and injuring over 200, as per official figures. The Delhi police - which has filed over 111 FIRs, naming 650 people - have been heavily criticised by activists, Opposition leaders - pointing out BJP leader Kapil Mishra's inflammatory speech, right before the riots began. 

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