2020 North East Delhi riots: Umar Khalid amplified narrative as part of conspiracy, say Delhi police

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police, while concluding its arguments on former JNU student leader Umar Khalid’s bail plea in the North East Delhi riots case, said that he amplified his narrative as part of conspiracy.

Khalid, who is accused in larger conspiracy of Delhi riots case under UAPA, has been in custody since September 2020. Special Public Prosecutor (SSP) Amit Prasad, in his submission to a Delhi court on Tuesday, referred to various chats that Khalid had with people who had a social media following.

The Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) orally submitted that among those whom Khalid had allegedly messaged were Congress leader Jignesh Mewani, actors Pooja Bhatt, Sushant Singh, Swara Bhasker, Zeeshan Ayub, politician and social activist Yogendra Yadav and news outlets The Wire and The Alt News among others.

Special judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Court heard the arguments advanced by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad for Delhi Police. The matter has been listed for a rejoinder by the counsel for Umar Khalid.

Khalid had moved a plea seeking bail. It was argued that there is a ‘change of circumstances’. The period spent in the custody is also a charge of circumstances. Earlier, Khalid’s counsel told the court that other accused persons facing graver allegations than him were out on bail and those who were allegedly involved in the same activities as him were not even made accused by the Delhi Police.

However, SPP Amit Prasad, arguing before the court on Tuesday, said all the events (or instances) in the ‘conspiracy’ must be read together and not in isolation. “The name of the accused appeared from the beginning till the culmination of the conspiracy”, the Special Public Prosecutor noted.

The accused said earlier some of the co-accused were granted bail and he should be done likewise on grounds of ‘parity’. SPP Prasad argued that the judgements by the virtue of which three accused persons (Asif Iqbal Tanha, Devangana Kalita and Natasha) were granted bail can’t be relied upon as ‘precedent’, and that every other accused person can not be entitled to parity.

“People on bail are stalling the trial so that people in custody can take advantage of the delay,” Prasad added.

It was also alleged by the SPP that in a WhatsApp group called ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’, Khalid told others that they would ‘strategise’ after a Supreme Court hearing. Prasad also added that Khalid said they would mobilise a protest based on what happened in the SC hearing.

During the hearing, the SPP played before the court on his laptop an interview of Khalid’s father, where he was heard saying that they don’t have faith in the Supreme Court. “They have no faith in the SC … therefore, they came to the trial Court. This is how they’re creating a narrative”, Prasad said, concluding his arguments.

In February, Khalid withdrew his bail plea from the Supreme Court. (ANI)