Umar Khalid questioned in riots case, cellphone seized

nNEW DELHI: Former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid was questioned on Friday in connection with a case related to the north-east Delhi riots,inwhichheandatleasteight othershavebeenbookedunderthe Unlawfulactivitypreventionact (UAPA), and charged with sedition, murder, attempt to murder and rioting.

Khalid’s cellphone was also seized, police said Saturday. The case is being probed by the Delhi Policespecialcell,whichisprobing “alargerconspiracyangle”behind the riots that took place in February. Friday was the first time the former JNU student was quizzed for his alleged role in the riots.

Joint commissioner of police (special cell) Neeraj Thakur confirmedthatkhalidwasquestioned byhisteamattheirofficeonfriday and that his cellphone was seized for investigation. Thakur, however, refused to share further details.

A special cell officer said, “He was questioned for nearly three hours. He was questioned regarding the purported provocative speeches he had allegedly delivered at two different places before the visit of US President Donald Trump in February. Khalid had allegedly appealed to the public to come out on streets and block the roads during Trump’s visit,” the officer said.

Morethaneight,includingsuspendedaamaadmipartycouncillor Tahir Hussain, Jamia student Meeran Haider, Jamia Coordinationcommittee’smediacoordinatorsafoorazargar,andpinjratod activists Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, have been arrested under UAPA on charges ofplanningandexecutingtheriots.

The counsels for the arrested personshaveaccuseddelhipolice of launching a witch hunt against their clients, only because they were part of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

According to the special cell submissionsbeforethecourt,khalid along with other accused had hatched a conspiracy to orchestrate the riots just before the Trumpvisitonfebruary24and25. Inatleastfourchargesheets,police have said Khalid met councillor Hussainandkhalidsaifi,anactivist, on January 8 at the Shaheen Bagh protest site to allegedly plan the riots.

When contacted Tridip Pais, counsel for Khalid, said he did not wanttocommentonthecasedevelopments.

Khalid was earlier arrested in February2016forallegedlyshouting anti-india slogans on the JNU campusalongwithformerstudent unionpresidentkanhaiyakumar and others.