Delhi riots: Umar Khalid sent to judicial custody till Oct 22

New Delhi:A Delhi court on Thursday sent former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid, arrested in connection with a case related to the widespread violence which broke out in Delhi's North-East area in February, to judicial custody till October 22.

Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested him on September 13 night under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following which he was sent to 10 days police custody. He was produced before Additional Session Judge Amitabh Rawat of Karkardooma court via video-conferencing earlier in the day at the end of the remand period.

On the request of Umar Khalid and his counsel Trideep Pais, the court allowed him to meet his parents before going to jail and directed his counsel to move an application for providing him spectacles. Advocate Pais will also move an application requesting the court to provide him security.

"In the last 10 days in police custody, I have not signed any paper or statement," Umar Khalid informed the court during the video conferencing.

He is accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to cause communal unrest by inciting people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens.

On March 6, the FIR was registered against Khalid and one Danish based on information provided by an informer to Crime Branch Sub-Inspector Arvind Kumar.

According to FIR number 59/2020, complainant Sub-Inspector Arvind Kumar said that riots are a premeditated conspiracy. "The conspiracy was hatched by Umar Khalid and two others associated with different organisations," the FIR further stated.

Umar Khalid gave provocative speeches at two different places and appealed people to block the roads during US President Donald Trump's visit, to spread propaganda at the international level about how minorities in India were being persecuted, the FIR added.

Umar Khalid and his associates brought women and children to the road at several places in a bid to hatch conspiracy to incite riots, the Sub-Inspector alleged, adding that firearms, petrol bombs, acid bottles, and stones were stored at homes in Kardampuri, Jafrabad, Chand Bagh, Gokulpuri, Shiv Vihar and nearby areas as part of the conspiracy.

Explaining the conspiracy, the complainant said that co-accused Danish was given the responsibility of gathering people from different places to take part in the violence. "On February 23, women and children were made to block the roads under the Jafrabad Metro Station to create tension amidst the neighbourhood people in a bid to give rise to riots," it added.

Besides this, Khalid has also been named in charge sheets filed in various cases of the riots. Communal violence broke out in North-East Delhi on February 24 after clashes between the citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.