A Delhi Court on Monday adjourned the bail application of Umar Khalid, an accused in the Delhi Riots conspiracy case, booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and IPC.
Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Amitabh Rawat adjourned the bail application of Khalid and fixed the next date of hearing on September 3.
Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, appearing on behalf of Khalid, played the entire speech made by Khalid at Amravati, Maharashtra. He informed the court that the police initially relied upon an edited clip of the video shared on YouTube by the news channel ‘Republic TV’.
Delhi Police wrote letters to Republic TV to produce the unedited footage. Subsequently, Republic TV informed the Delhi Police that they did not attend the speech and the video had been acquired from the tweet of Amit Malviya, National Head, IT Cell, BJP.
Senior Advocate Pais argued that FIR no 59/2020 was framed in such a way that it would become easy to frame people. He further stated that none of the people named in the FIR should be held in custody, as it is a complete fabrication, where witnesses are manufactured after framing of charges.
Senior Advocate Pais further argued that the prosecution claimed that conspiracy to incite riots in Delhi was hatched on January 8, 2020, when the then President of US, Donald J Trump was visiting and the eyes of the whole world would be on India, but the news of Donald Trump’s visit to India was received by the Ministry of External Affairs only on January 14, 2020.
On the statement of the protected witness, who has stated to have seen Umar Khalid, Tahir Hussain and Khalid Saifi at the office of Popular Front of India planning the North East Delhi Riots, Senior Advocate Pais went on to argue that the said witness had changed his statement numerous times, to the point that it becomes contradictory.
Senior Advocate Pais said, “UAPA, POTA, PMLA are distrust of judiciary. These are enacted so that your (judiciary) hands are tied. This is a joke. On March 6, you had nothing and then you get statements as and when you wanted to arrest someone. No accused should be held in this FIR. This is a cooked-up FIR.”
Senior Advocate Pais informed the court that the said event in Amravati was also attended by Justice B. G. Kolse Patil and several retired IPS officers, where Khalid was speaking about democratic power, non-violent ways of protest and fears of the students, who suffered during the violence inside Jamia Milia Islamia University.