Ex-JNU student Umar Khalid arrested in Delhi riots case after being grilled for 11 hours

Activist and former JNU student leader Umar Khalid was arrested late on Sunday night by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in connection with his alleged role in the violence of Northeast Delhi. Umar Khalid has been booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). He was called for questioning on Sunday which went on for roughly 11 hours, following which he was arrested by the special cell. He will be produced before a Delhi Court on Monday.

Umar Khalid met Ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain

Earlier, Khalid was summoned on August 1 by the special cell for questioning regarding Delhi violence. His phone was also seized by the police, sources said.

According to ANI, in a charge sheet filed by the Delhi Police Crime Branch against suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain, the investigating officer has alleged that on January 8, more than a month before the riots, Hussain met with Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi of 'United Against Hate' at the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protest, and Umar asked him to be prepared for something big/riots at the time of Trump's visit. Later, the special cell started a probe into the larger conspiracy in connection with the Delhi violence.

"After 11 hours of interrogation, the Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Umar Khalid as a conspirator in the Delhi Riots case. The fairy tale narrative that DP (Delhi Police) has been spinning and criminalising protests in the garb of investigating riots, finds yet another victim," United Against Hate, an activist group whose Umar Khalid is a member, said in a statement.

"The fight against draconian CAA and UAPA will go on despite all these horrid measures of intimidation. Right now, our first priority is that he should be given maximum security and the Delhi Police must ensure his safety by all means possible," the statement added.

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Delhi Riots

In February, violence took place in the northeast area of Delhi between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which led to the deaths of at least 53 people. In their attempt to prevent violence, 108 police personnel received injuries and two died.

According to the force, the Delhi Police has registered 751 FIRs in connection with the communal riots. After collecting and collating all evidence, the investigation has been finalised in most of the important cases and the charge sheets have been submitted in the court for trial, according to the police. So far, police have arrested 1,575 people in 751 cases. Over 250 charge sheets have been filed in the riots related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted.

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(With agency inputs)