On March 21, Thursday, the Karkardooma Court in Delhi heard the bail application of the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid. Bail is sought by Umar Khalid in the UAPA case in the conspiracy case of Delhi anti-Hindu Riots (FIR 59/2020). Before the single judge bench of Sameer Bajpai adjourned the matter and listed the next hearing for April 3, Defense Counsel Trideep Pais mentioned the WhatsApp chat that Umar Khalid had with actor Sushant Singh a few months after the riots took place in the National Capital in February 2020.
Notably, the prosecutor has submitted these chats for the first time in court. The chats have been submitted in the written response filed by the Public Prosecutor, the contents of which have not been mentioned yet.
Senior counsel Trideep Pais argued before the bench that Umar had sent a report published by the leftist media portal The Quint to actor and ‘activist’ Sushant Singh to ‘expose’ the Delhi police.
OpIndia found that the WhatsApp chat which was mentioned by Umar Khalid’s lawyer Trideep Pais indeed has merit because Sushant Singh did, on June 11, 2020, as instructed by Umar Khalid, shared the link from The Quint where the media portal claimed that police accused Khalid, Tahir Hussain, and others of hatching conspiracy on 8th January 2020 during a meeting. However, the first reference to the possible visit of Donald Trump to India was only made on 13th January 2020, five days after this meeting took place.
In conversation with Sushant, Khalid asked him to post the link to this report by The Quint, which the actor obliged.
The closeness and synergy between actor and ‘activist’ Sushant Singh and terror accused Umar Khalid has been on display on multiple occasions. Over the years, Singh has written several posts supporting Khalid. Here are a few instances where Sushant Singh has shown his unwavering support for the UAPA accused Umar Khalid.
Personal Liberty must be protected, and not just that of propagandists and hate-mongers. Umar Khalid has been fighting to protect the rights of all citizens, in a constitutional way. #UmarKhalidKoRihaKaro pic.twitter.com/05nO1Gb6ii
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) November 13, 2020
Today’s Big Debate-
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) June 11, 2020
Are Umar Khalid & Co. dangerous Time Travelling Terrorists? They knew about Trump’s visit even before it was announced? 😮😮@UmarKhalidJNU jawaab do !!
Delhi Riots: Is Trump Visit a Hole in Police’s Conspiracy Theory? https://t.co/92Nbul1qrl
Free Umar Khalid and all political prisoners. #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners pic.twitter.com/MeBRtI1D3Q
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) February 13, 2021
उमर ख़ालिद १०० दिन से जेल में है।
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) December 23, 2020
जुर्म- सम्विधान की रक्षा का आह्वान।
Umar Khalid has been in jail for 100 days now.
Crime- A call to save the Constitution #UmarKhalidKoRihaKaro #FreeAllPoliticalPrisoners pic.twitter.com/LP0jLyBMDX
Umar Khalid's arrest shuts a democratic option for a generation of Indian Muslims https://t.co/KOJ3KWZf3R
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) September 16, 2020
OpIndia’s investigation, and the details of the chargesheet showed that, even though the meeting to plan a conspiracy took place on January 8, the mention of Trump’s visit occurred during meetings held later, when they concluded that the only way to exert more pressure on the government was through rioting.
Umar Khalid in his confession said that on the 16th-17th of January, they concluded that riots are the only way to build pressure on the government and to ensure the repeal of CAA. “For this, I told people to hoard stones, petrol, acid, and weapons to be used when necessary. Then I attended demonstrations at 23-24 places in Delhi, I went to Amravati in Maharashtra as well where I said during US President Donald Trump’s official visit on 24th February, we will take to the streets and create pressure on the government by demonstrating our strength,” his confession says.
On the 24th of February 2020, when spoke to Tahir Hussain, Saifi was informed that according to plan, rioting had started and Hindu houses had been set on fire. All of this was mentioned in the chargesheet filed by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police at the Karkardooma Court and as per IndiaTV, the Court had taken cognizance of it.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Court has adjourned the bail application of Umar Khalid and listed the next hearing for April 3.
Umar Khalid withdraws bail plea from SC citing ‘change in circumstances’
Notably, on February 14, the former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student withdrew his bail plea before the Supreme Court in the Delhi anti-Hindu riots in February 2020.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Khalid, told the bench that the petition is being withdrawn given a “change in circumstances” and to seek bail afresh before the trial court.
Sibal said, “Bail matter, we wish to withdraw. There has been a change in circumstances; we will try our luck in the trial court.”
Khalid has been in custody in a UAPA case in the anti-Hindu Delhi riots in February 2020.
