The Delhi police have filed a supplementary charge sheet on Sunday against 3 individuals for conspiracy during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots in February this year. It names Umar Khalid, his ‘protege’ Sharjeel Imam and Faizan Khan.
As per reports, the charge sheet was filed before additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat under the UAPA and other criminal activities like criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, murder, rioting, sedition, and other offences under the IPC.
The supplementary charge sheet was filed under the UAPA sections 13 (unlawful activities), 16 (terrorist act), 17 (raising funds for terrorist act) and 18 (conspiracy).
As per the charge sheet, Khalid wanted to fuel riots during the visit of US President Donald Trump to India. He hoped to use the international media coverage to surmount pressure on the incumbent BJP government to roll-back the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Delhi Police had arrested a total of 21 people in connection to the case. The cops had earlier filed a charge sheet in September, detailing the planning and execution of the riots. The new supplementary charge sheet comes at the backdrop of government’s approval to prosecute the duo under the UAPA. The Delhi police will soon file another supplementary charge sheet in a month’s period, detailing charges against other three accused.
The charge sheet revealed that Umar Khalid had a ‘secret office’ in the riot-torn region of Chand Bagh in Delhi. Reportedly, he would hold meetings at late night with other conspirators. It is pertinent to remember that Delhi’s Chand Bagh area witnessed unprecedented violence, including the gruesome murder of police head constable Ratan Lal during the anti-Hindu Delhi riots in February. It stated that Umar Khalid made ‘nationwide alliances’ with other ‘like-minded people’ immediately after the Citizenship Amendment Act received the assent of the Union Cabinet.
It says that Khalid ‘remotely-controlled’ the brutal riots that ended up claiming 53 lives.
Umar Khalid replicated Shaheen Bagh model in other places
Reportedly, Umar Khalid also oversaw the formation of an Islamist group named Muslim Students of JNU (MSJ) with the help of Sharjeel Imam. The charge sheet accused him of ‘replicating’ Shaheen Bagh model in 24 other locations and controlled the events on February 23-24. The police stated, “Khalid used MSJ to foment the violence in South-East district in December 2019, which led to the Shaheen Bagh protests. He then coalesced a coalition of the current government haters that led to the formation of Delhi Protest Support Group on WhatsApp.
Other accusations against Umar Khalid
Khalid was arrested by the police on September 14 for his alleged involvement in the horrific Northeast Delhi riots. He was summoned by the police for investigation and was later arrested. In a charge sheet filed by the Delhi police and admitted by the court, it is alleged that Khalid had hatched the conspiracy of the anti-Hindu Delhi riots along with his friends during the visit of the US President Trump to India. Khalid had allegedly met the former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain and another accused Khalid Saifi to assure logistical support during the riots through his contacts in the PFI.
While Khalid and Imam are under judicial custody, Faizan Khan was granted bail. Othe accused persons include Congress’ Ishrat Jahan, AAP leader Tahir Hussain, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Devangala Kalita, Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haidar and others.
