'Locals used as fodder' at anti CAA protest site: Police to Court opposing Khalid's bail

The Delhi Police, on Saturday, while opposing the bail plea filed by JNU student leader Umar Khalid, in a larger conspiracy case that led to the Delhi Riots, argued that "local people were used as fodder" at the anti-CAA protest site.

"All the protest sites you (the conspirators) created were poorest of poor in Delhi. These locations are in very narrow areas. The objective was to use this population as fodder," said Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat.

The public prosecutor while referring to the WhatsApp chats of the Delhi Protest Support Group (DPSG) said that the protests weren't organic and argued that when these people couldn't gather the locals, they started to fill in the protest site with their own people. "Locals are not supporting, while they are not supporting, you are importing," Prasad said. 

Dubbing the submissions of the defence that Sharjeel Imam had sidelined himself from the protest, Prasad, while referring to the chats, argued, "What is projected is Sharjeel is out of Shaheen Bagh...When Bilal Zaidi posts need a number of organisers of Shaheen bagh...Artificial distancing of Sharjeel was done and then his number was probably shared on DM."

"Mil baith ke khaana ek saath he khaayenge chahe public face mein humko kuch aur behave karna hai (Will share and eat together from the same table even if they behave differently in public)," Prasad said while commenting upon the artificial sidelining of Sharjeel Imam. 

'Natasha, a new member added to DPSG': SPP Prasad

In order to establish that the protest sites were being controlled, SPP Prasad, while referring to the chats, said, "We're now on 15 January when Natasha is added to DPSG group. Now that she has come, she also has to act. Very crucial question, Natasha comes from DU, there were various protest sites near DU, but what is magical that you call for a protest march at Seelampur and Jafrabad. (sic)" 

"After adding Natasha the local person was told to back off because the main member of the group was told to take the charge. Rahul Roy sent Natasha to Jafarabad and others to different spots," Prasad argued.

It was further argued by the prosecution that the said Whatsapp group in question (DPSG) was a strategic one and every message which was sent there was calculated. "This is a highly sensitive group (DPSG). Therefore every small message that comes in is privately deliberated upon and then passed. Every decision taken is conscious and well thought over," Prasad argued. 

"There are 3 aspects. One, meeting of December 8. Then first phase riots. The investigation says first phase riots. In their own chat, they say first phase riots...Investigation has not reached the conclusion based on whims and fancies, it has reached the conclusion based on evidence on record," the police argued before the court. 

Further, countering the claims of the defence that the investigation was communal in nature, SPP Amit Prasad showed a part of the chat where one of the members, Aporvanand, suggests a blood donation camp In response to the same, Khalid Saifi says that the said idea won't be fruitful as the same is prohibited under Islam and it would pull people out of the protest.

Showing the above-said conversation, Prasad argued, "So, when we say that the protest had communal colour, we are blamed for our investigation and the same is being termed as communal probe but this is their own chat and see..."

Protesters wanted to change narrative

Prasad read another message "There is a narrative that only Muslims are protesting...we need to turn this narrative...we need more interviews."

"When you make an announcement from Masjid, you call a pandit there to do pooja and ask the Pandit to give speeches and when the narrative goes out you want to change it," Prasad said. 

Pointing out towards the role of Umar Khalid, the prosecution argued, "What they argued is that Umar Khalid has only sent 5 messages. I have shown from conduct that from 23rd January from the chats that how Tasleem reports to him (Umar Khalid) on 5th, 14th January and in February. How the reporting to master is happening." 

"I have also shown from the photo how he is present on a site which magically becomes the first site where chakka jam happens. I have also shown from 164 statement which says 'tayyari karleni chahiye' (need to get ready)," he argued further.

Yesterday, Delhi Police drew a parallel with the conspiracy to the 9/11 twin bomb blasts in the United States saying that "the main conspirators never visited the actual scene of violence"

"The reference to the 9/11 episode is very relevant. There, the key conspirator never visited the US. The person who was behind 9/11 never visited conspiracy meetings. It happened in Malaysia. He never visited US or Malaysia," said Prasad while citing the example of the said terror plot to deny the claims made by the lawyers of Umar Khalid. 

Khalid's lawyers had claimed that he had no role to play as he had only sent five messages to the group. Citing another reference to the 9/11 terror plot, Prasad argued, "Just before 9/11 happened, all the people who were involved, they reached a particular place and took training. A month prior to that they moved to their respective positions. That is what is relevant in this case as well."

'Chakka Jam was just the first step': SSP Prasad

Prasad then went on to elaborate on the sequence of events and said, "You have protest sites ready. You have people there but when the tempo began to go down, you rebuild the tempo."

Prasad further argued that the idea was never only of Chakka jam. "It (Chakka Jaam) was just the first step," Prasad said while adding that as of February 17, there were already whispers of a violent protest and not a non-violent protest. 

"Our friend (Umar Khalid) continued to be on this group, remained silent. What they were arguing (is) that he only sent 5 messages," Prasad argued before Additional Sessions, Judge Amitabh Rawat. 

Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad made these submissions while opposing the bail plea filed by Umar Khalid in the FIR registered in connection with the larger conspiracy that led to violence and riots in the national capital's North-East district on February 2020.

(Image: PTI)