In the context of the large scale and devastating communal violence that had broken out in north-eastern parts of Delhi earlier this year, former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist Umar Khalid has been questioned by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police.
Umar Khalid’s involvement in instigating the communal riots that took place in Delhi in the month of February is being investigated by the police at the moment. According to recent reports in the PTI, the police have seized Umar Khalid’s phone for examination. Several massive clashes had broken out in Delhi in the month of February in the northeastern parts of the city and more than 35 people had lost their lives and hundreds of others had been injured. The riots started off through clashes between Pro-CAA and Anti-CAA protestors.
The Joint Commissioner of Police Special Cell Neeraj Thakur has said that his team indeed took Umar Khalid for questioning and seized his mobile for taking the investigation ahead. However, the Police personnel have refused to bring forward any more details of the investigation before people so far.
Umar Khalid was questioned regarding the allegedly violent speeches that he had given in different parts of Delhi before the communal riots had broken out and for his allegedly role in mobilising people in large numbers to come out into the streets and protest on the roads while American President Donald Trump was making a visit to India. Umar Khalid’s name is also part of the charge-sheet that has been submitted by the police against the suspended AAP councillor Tahir Hussain.
The police allege that Umar Khalid had met up with Tahir Hussain along with other organisers of the United Against Hate Campaign at Shaheen Bagh and had spoken about the communal riots that were to follow. Umar Khalid has rejected all accusations and said that he is being falsely implicated in the issue and that he has always been a strong advocate of peace. Umar Khalid has been allegedly involved in conspiring against the state and organising and mobilising people for the communal riots that broke out in Delhi in February this year. In April, Umar Khalid and JMI scholars Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar were booked under the UAPA with regard to the matter and FIR said that they were involved in premeditating the conspiracy and inciting the communal clashes in Delhi.
The three had been booked for promoting enmity, inciting violence, attempt to murder etc but most importantly they were also booked for sedition. The charges against Umar Khalid were that he had delivered speeches that incited violence, mobilised people to riot and come out into the streets during Donald Trump’s visit and protest against the condition of minorities in India. The Police also said that there was a large scale conspiracy going on as it unveiled firearms and other arms and ammunitions from the site of violence.
