Delhi riots: Court defers order on Umar Khalid's plea bail
Mar 14, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 14 : A Delhi Court on Monday deferred the pronouncement of order on the bail plea of Umar Khalid for March 21.
The Karkardooma court had reserved its order on March 3.
Former JNU student leader Umar Khalid is an accused in the northeast Delhi violence conspiracy case. He was arrested on 13 September 2020 under Sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat deferred the matter as the defence had not filed their written submissions in the matter.
SPP Amit Prasad had rebutted that in the case of conspiracy, the wholesome conduct of the accused has to be seen. There are multiple chats and other evidence is there. He also submitted that there is adequate material on record against the accused.
He 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 11 February 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. An FIR was lodged in this regard for not obeying the order, argued the SPP.
Senior Advocate Tridip Pais the counsel for the accused rebutted saying that the said order and the FIR were illegal because there can not 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 in the said FIR registered in the Amaravati matter. Nothing happened after the speech. The prosecution can not 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 died and hundreds were injured.
Delhi police had lodged a larger conspiracy case naming Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima including others.
