Delhi Riots: Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam Charged Under Stringent Anti-Terror Law

New Delhi: The Delhi police on Sunday filed a supplementary chargesheet in a court in Delhi against former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and JNU student Sharjeel Imam in a case related to the alleged larger conspiracy in the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

The chargesheet was filed before Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat against Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and one Faizan Khan under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and sections related to criminal conspiracy, murder, rioting, sedition, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity on the grounds of religion, language, caste, etc of the Indian Penal Code, according to sources.

The offences entail a maximum punishment of death penalty.

The 930-page supplementary chargesheet was filed under sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist act) and 18 (conspiracy) of the UAPA.

The accused have been charged under various sections of the law, including criminal conspiracy, read abetment, abettor present when offence is committed, sedition and rioting.

The three have also been charged for wrongful restraint, assault to deter public servant, dacoity, cheating, mischief, mischief by fire, house trespass, house breaking, forgery, using forged document as genuine, common intention and under relevant sections of the Arms Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act, the sources said.

While Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam are currently in judicial custody in the case, Faizan Khan had been granted bail by the Delhi High Court.

The main chargesheet was filed in September against Pinjra Tod members and JNU students Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, Jamia Millia Islamia student Asif Iqbal Tanha and student activist Gulfisha Fatima.

Others who were charge-sheeted included former Congress Councillor Ishrat Jahan, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, Meeran Haider and Shifa-Ur-Rehman, suspended AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain, activist Khalid Saifi, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Salim Malik, Mohd Salim Khan and Athar Khan.

Communal violence had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after clashes between citizenship law supporters and protesters spiralled out of control leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured.