Delhi Riots: Court once again defers order on bail plea of Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid. File Photo

A Delhi Court on Monday once again deferred the pronouncement of order on bail plea of Umar Khalid till March 23.

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student leader Umar Khalid is an accused in the northeast Delhi violence conspiracy case. He was arrested on September 13 in the year 2020 under Sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Earlier, the Karkardooma court had reserved the order on March 3. The order was to be pronounced on March 14. It was deferred for non-filing of written arguments by the lawyer of Umar Khalid.

Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat deferred the matter till March 23 following the submission of additional notes by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad.

SPP Amit Prasad had rebutted that in the case of conspiracy, we have to see the wholesome conduct of the accused. There are multiple chats and other evidence. He submitted that there is adequate material on record against the accused.

He had submitted on the specific question asked by the court on Umar Khalid's speech at Amaravati that the permission for this program was rejected on February 11, 2020, by the Maharashtra police. Again on 12 February, another application was filed by an office-bearer of the Welfare Party of India mentioning six dignitaries except Umar Khalid.

The father of the accused is the national president of the party. Permission was given to only six persons. Despite this Umar Khalid went there and gave a speech on 17 February.

A FIR was lodged in this regard for not obeying the order, argued the SPP.

Senior Advocate Tridip Pais the counsel for the accused again rebutted saying that the said order and FIR was illegal because there cannot be restrictions on right to speech. There are no such restrictions in the Maharashtra Police Act.

He argued that Umar Khalid was named as accused as per the said FIR registered in Amaravati matter. Nothing had happened after the speech. The prosecution cannot call it an act of terror because he gave a speech there. The prosecution is making a mockery of the prosecution of UAPA.

He also argued that the 'Bharat tere tukde honge' remark was not attributed to Khalid in the chargesheet filed in the JNU case 2016. But this time the prosecution has attributed this remark to him.

This case is related to the larger conspiracy of northeast Delhi riots in which 53 people had died and hundreds had got injured.

Delhi police had lodged the larger conspiracy case naming Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima including others.

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