Delhi Violence: Court Extends Judicial Custody Of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam

A Delhi court has extended till November 20 the judicial custody of JNU student leaders Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with a case related to the violence that took place in northeast Delhi in February this year.

Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid were on Friday produced before the court through video conferencing from Tihar Jail.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, while extending the judicial custody, also inquired from the Jail Superintendent about the specific grievances of accused Umar Khalid of not being allowed out of his cell and being confined in it.

On the inquiry, the Jail Superintendent submitted that the safety and security of the accused is being strictly considered and the accused is also being allowed to go outside his cell like other inmates of the jail.

The Jail Superintendent apprised the court that the under-trials can go out of the cell from sunrise till noon and from 3 pm till sunset.

The court directed to jail authority to take all possible measures for the safety and security of the accused while also adhering to the other jail rules and also made clear to the Jail Superintendent that such safety and security can't become the reason for not letting the accused out of the cell and asking him to be confined to a cell.

Accused Umar Khalid shall also cooperate with the Jail Authority in view of the stated security issue, the court directed.

Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were arrested by the Delhi Police in connection with their alleged role in the northeast Delhi violence. Both are also booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.

According to the police, the present case pertains to a multi-layered conspiracy and pre-planned riots in Delhi. Police submitted that on March 6, 2020, specific information was received by the Crime Branch that the communal riot incidents during February 23-26, 2020 in Delhi were pre-planned and the same was hatched by Umar Khalid and his associates, all linked with different-different groups.

"As per pre-planned conspiracy, the accused Umar Khalid gave provoking speeches at various places and appealed the Muslim minority community gathering to block roads and other public places during the visit of Donald Trump, President of the USA, so that a propaganda may be flashed at the international platform that the Muslim minorities community in India are being tortured," the police had submitted before the court.

It had submitted that in order to achieve these objectives, firearms, petrol bombs, acid bottles, stones, slingshots and other dangerous articles were procured at various places including Maujpur Jafarabad, Chand Bagh, Gokalpuri and Shiv Vihar, Delhi. On February 23, 2020, as per pre-planned conspiracy children and women were sent to block Jafarabad Metro Station to create tension and riots in the area.

At least 53 people lost their lives and hundreds of others were injured in the violence which took place in the northeast area of Delhi between groups supporting and opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in February this year.