Published 19:36 IST, November 25th 2020
Delhi riots chargesheet: Police claim 'Khalid urged roping in Rohingyas' & Pinjra Tod link
Two days after Delhi police filed a supplementary chargesheet of the Delhi riots in the Karkadooma court, Republic TV on Wednesday, has accessed details of it
- India News
- 4 min read
Two days after Delhi police filed a supplementary chargesheet of the Delhi riots in the Karkadooma court, Republic TV on Wednesday, has accessed details of Delhi police's claims in chargesheet. Delhi police has alleged a Pinjra Tod link to the Delhi riots conspiracy, stating that Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita had declared that the attack on cops was 'successful' while speaking to one 'Rahul Roy'. Moreover, the 900+ page supplementary chargesheet also claims that ex-JNU leader Umar Khalid urged people to rope in Rohingya immigrants for the anti-CAA protests, according to a protected witnesses' statement.
Umar Khalid, Pinjra Tod link in Delhi riots conspiracy
The police chargesheet claimed that Pinjra Tod activists had brought 300 women from Jahangirpuri area of Delhi to the anti-CCA protest site in Jafarabad via seven buses, allegedly paying them. These protestors allegedly took on the deployed police forces by use of chilli powder, crushed glass bottles and stones which led to riots, it alleged, injuring Jahangirpuri ACP and DCP. Pinjra Tod activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwa and Gulfisha Fatima are still in jail, their bail pleas rejected.
Moreover, the chargesheet alleged that Umar Khalid allegedly asked people to rope in Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants in the anti-CAA protests to stoke the North East Delhi riots, as per a protected witness in their supplementary chargesheet. The Karkardooma court has taken cognizance of a supplementary chargesheet which named Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam nd Faizan Khan as the main accused for allegedly planning the riots to 'distract attention from Donald Trump's visit', under the UAPA act. The court said that there is sufficient material to proceed against the accused under the UAPA sections that charge them with terrorist activities
"Umar Khalid, with his intellectual acumen, knew very well that a large majority of Indian Muslims will never subscribe to the perverted definition of Islam being exposed by his disciple Sharjeel Imam and no amount of rhetoric and obfuscation of facts will be enough to brainwash the Indian Muslims into actually believing that CAA would question their nationality," stated the chargesheet. The above-mentioned accused have been charged under several sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and several sections of IPC including - rioting, murder, criminal conspiracy which has a maximum sentence of death penalty.
Why were Khalid and Imam arrested?
Previously, Delhi police had charged 'United Against Hate' chief Khalid Saifi, Congress ex-councillor Ishrat Jahan, ex-AAP councillor Tahir Hussain; RJD youth wing’s Meeran Haider, Pinjda Tod activists Gulfisha Fatima, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita. Six other accused like - Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Danish, Parvez, Ilyas and Faizal Khan were arrested but not named in the chargesheet. Some of them are out on bail now.
Khalid was arrested on September 13, as he allegedly met with suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain and Saifi on January 8 to allegedly 'hatch a conspiracy' during Trump's visit to India. Meanwhile, Imam - a key organizer of the Shaheen Bagh protests was arrested on January 28 after the police accused him of being involved in the violence that took place in Jamia on December 15, 2019, during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Both have denied the charges and have been in judicial custody dince then.
Delhi riots
Clashes began between CAA supporters and anti-CAA groups in Northeast Delhi on February 23, as both camps resorted to stone-pelting after Shaheen Bagh-like protests started in Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh. The situation deteriorated even as Delhi Police was present at the spot as houses, shops, and buses were burnt. While the Home Minister reviewed the situation on February 24 and 25 - as US President Donald Trump visited India, the violence increased killing 53 and injuring over 200, as per official figures.
Updated 19:36 IST, November 25th 2020