Delhi court defers to Nov 24 hearing on supplementary chargesheet against Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam
Nov 23, 2020
New Delhi [India], November 23 : A Delhi court on Monday deferred to November 24 the hearing on the supplementary chargesheet filed by Delhi Police against Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scholar Umar Khalid and research scholar Sharjeel Imam in a conspiracy case in connection with the northeast Delhi violence.
Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat listed the matter for further hearing tomorrow on the issue of supplying copies of supplementary chargesheet to the accused noting there is an order of the Delhi High Court staying trial in the matter after police's appeal challenging a trial court order directing the probe agency to supply a hardcopy of the chargesheet to the accused.
ASJ Rawat said that he needs to think in terms of the order of the High Court as he is not sure how to provide the copy of chargesheet to the accused people.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad said that without prejudice to the rights and contentions, the probe agency may supply a soft copy.
Delhi Police had on Sunday filed a supplementary chargesheet against JNU scholar Umar Khalid and research scholar Sharjeel Imam pertaining to a larger conspiracy behind the violence that took place in northeast parts of Delhi between February 24 and 26.
Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid were arrested by Delhi Police for their alleged role in the violence in February this year. Both are also booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) 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 have submitted that on March 6, specific information was received in the Crime Branch that the communal riots from February 24 to 26 in Delhi were pre-planned and the same was hatched by one Umar Khalid and his associates.
"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 US President Donald Trump on February 24-25, so that propaganda may be flashed at an international platform that the Muslim minority in India are being tortured," the police said in the chargesheet.
"In order to achieve these objectives, the 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, in Delhi. On February 23 as per pre-planned conspiracy, the children and ladies were sent to block Jafarabad Metro Station to create tension and riots in the area," it added.
More than 750 cases were registered over the northeast Delhi violence, in which at least 53 people were killed and several others were injured. So far, over 250 chargesheets have been filed in the riots related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted.
