India, September 14: Delhi riot; Former JNU student and activist, Umar Khalid being arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell on Sunday after being questioned for about 11 hours. He was presented before the Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat through video conferencing. Police sought his 10-day custody. Special public prosecutor Amit Prasad told additional sessions judge that he needed to be confronted with huge amount of data.
He has been arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for his alleged role in the role in the communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi over the Citizenship Amendment Act in February. Delhi Police claimed in the FIR, the communal violence that took place during the riots was a “premeditated conspiracy” allegedly carried out by Khalid and two others. They have been booked for sedition, murder, attempt to murder and several offences under the Indian Penal Code. The FIR also claimed that in this conspiracy, firearms, petrol bombs, acid bottles and stones were collected at numerous homes.
Khalid’s father, however, have accused the Delhi police of targeting those who participated in the protests against the CAA and NRC. “This is nothing but an attempt to corner the activists and silence the voices of those who dissent against the government. The Delhi police have been trying to weave a false story by naming few people who participated in the anti-CAA-NRC protests, including Umar, as the ‘masterminds’ behind the north-east [Delhi] violence. However, everyone knows who was actually behind the riots,” said Sayed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, Khalid’s father.
Activist group United Against Hate, said in a statement, “The fairy tale narrative that DP [Delhi Police] has been spinning and criminalising protests in the garb of investigating riots, finds yet another victim.“
Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav has tweeted on this issue calling Khalid a thinking idealist. “Shocked that an anti-terror law UAPA has been used to arrest a young, thinking, idealist like UmarKhalidJNU who has always opposed violence and communalism in any form. He is undoubtedly among the leaders that India deserves. DelhiPolice can’t detain India’s future for long.“
Umar has however denied the allegations and called the inquiry a conspiracy.
