Umar Khalid denied bail in Delhi riots case; police says 'locals used as fodder'

In a severe setback to JNU student leader Umar Khalid, Delhi's Karkardooma Court denied him bail on Thursday, March 24, in the 2020 Delhi riots' 'conspiracy' case. Delhi police claimed that Khalid along with other anti-CAA protestors 'used local people as fodder' at the anti CAA protest site.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had earlier reserved the judgment in this case. Umar Khalid has been in jail since September 2020.

Umar Khalid 'objective was to use this population as fodder': Delhi Police 

Delhi Police argued that all anti-CAA protest sites created were in the poorest of poor areas in Delhi, adding, "The objective was to use this population as fodder". Citing Khalid's presence in DPSG group and his connectivity with other accused persons, Delhi Police claimed that Khalid's involvement was there in the planning of riots from December 5. Police said that none of the protest sites were organic and people were imported to fuel the protest after there was no local support.

The police also compared the 2016 JNU sedition case with the Delhi riots, claiming that what Khalid learnt from 2016, he didn't repeat in the Delhi riots, terming Sharjeel Imam was the new Umar Khalid, referring to his inflammatory statements. The police also equated the Delhi riots to 9/11, arguing, "The person who was behind 9/11 never visited conspiracy meeting. It happened in Malaysia. 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 also."

Umar Khalid in jail for allegedly trying to 'hatch a conspiracy'

Khalid was arrested on 13 September 2020, as he allegedly met with suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and Saifi on January 8 to allegedly 'hatch a conspiracy' during Trump's visit to India. In the meeting, Hussain was reportedly asked to prepare for something big at the time of US President Donald Trump's visit to India.

The chargesheet accused Saifi of giving him some money for the preparations, naming him as one of the persons responsible for organising the riots in Delhi's Khureji area. Khalid has since then been in judicial custody as his bail has been rejected several times. Recently, he was granted bail in connection to the riots which took place in Khajuri Khas area in February 2020 as the chargesheet in the case had already been filed.

Delhi police have filed a 17,000-page chargesheet and a 1000-page chargesheet 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' that led to the Delhi riots which killed 53 in February 2020.

Delhi 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", and have charged them under the UAPA act. The above-mentioned accused have been charged under several sections of UAPA and several sections of IPC, including rioting, murder, and criminal conspiracy which have a maximum sentence of the death penalty.