Updated 30 October 2025 at 22:12 IST
Delhi Police Affidavit Unmasks 'Four Phase Planning' of 2020 Delhi Riots To Achieve 'Regime Change'
Republic has accessed the affidavit where the police allege the motive behind the 2020 north east Delhi riots was to achieve a "regime change." Bail has been opposed for the accused based on the seriousness of the charges.
- India News
- 3 min read

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New Delhi: The Delhi police affidavit on the 2020 Delhi riots case named Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam as the masterminds in the case.
Republic has accessed the affidavit where the police allege the motive was to achieve a "regime change."
Bail has been opposed for the accused based on the seriousness of the charges.
International Link and "Regime Change Operation"
The Delhi Police assert that the accused received international help in organizing the events.
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The police said that the accused organized/sponsored protests with international help as a "regime change operation."
Delhi Police's Allegations
The police allege that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam aimed:
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-To engineer nation-wide riots across India.
-To hatch a conspiracy "to strike at the very heart of the sovereignty and integrity of the country."
-To instigate the crowd not only to abrogate public order but to incite them to an extent of armed rebellion.
-To have the conspiracy executed during the official visit of the US President, Donald Trump, to India to "draw the attention of ‘international media.’"
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) issue was deliberately chosen to serve as a "radicalising catalyst" camouflaged under the guise of "peaceful protest."
The conspiracy resulted in the death of 53 persons and large-scale damage to public property, leading to the registration of 753 First Information Reports (FIRs) in Delhi alone.
The ultimate plan was for a Pan-India execution of the conspiracy.
States Affected by CAA-Related Violence (Named by Delhi Police)
The police list the following states that allegedly faced CAA-related violence:
1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Assam
3. West Bengal
4. Kerala
5. Karnataka
6. Maharashtra
7. Bihar
Four-Phase Planning of the Conspiracy
The Delhi Police detailed four distinct phases in the planning and execution of the riots:
Phase I: Initiation and Formation of Groups, followed by the First Phase of Riots (December 2019).
Phase II: Strategic Mobilization involving coordination of student bodies, development of protest sites and tactics, speeches, and propaganda (December 2019 to February 2020).
Phase III: Escalation Plans including stockpiling of weapons, conspiratorial meetings, and coordinated preparations (January to February 2020).
Phase IV: Implementation Phase involving 'Chakka-Jaam' (road-blockades), confrontations with law enforcement, and the February 2020 riots.
The Delhi Police on Thursday objected before the Supreme Court to the bail plea of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the UAPA case linked to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots, saying the alleged offences involved a deliberate attempt to destabilise the state.
The Delhi police filed its affidavit on bail pleas of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider and Shifa Ur Rehman, challenging the Delhi High Court order, which denied them bail in the UAPA case linked to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots.
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Published By : Ankita Paul
Published On: 30 October 2025 at 21:59 IST