Umar Khalid, Saifi discharged in 2020 northeast Delhi riots case
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Saturday cleared former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid and United Against Hate (UAH)’S founder Khalid Saifi from charges of rioting, vandalism, arson and promoting religious enmity in a case of the northeast Delhi riots at Khajuri Khas in February 2020.
Both will, however, continue to remain in prison in connection with another case related to the north-east Delhi riots, in which they have been booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly orchestrating communal violence.
Additional sessions judge (ASJ) Pulastya Pramachala discharged the suspects, noting that the evidence against them pertains to the larger conspiracy case of the northeast riots, which is pending trial before another court.
The First Information Report (FIR) in the Khajuri Khas case was registered on the statement of constable Sangram Singh, in which he stated that on February 24, 2020 at 2pm, he along with several other police officers sustained injures when a large crowd gathered on a road in the locality and started pelting stones.
The crowd set the vehicles in a nearby parking area, including his motorcycle, ablaze, the FIR said.
Besides Umar Khalid and Khalid Saifi, the court also discharged Tariq Moin Rizvi, Jagar Khan and Mohammad Illiyas. The court directed all the accused to furnish a bond under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CRPC) for ₹10,000 with one surety in the like amount.
A detailed reasoned order of the court is yet to be uploaded on the official website.
The judge, however, framed charges against suspended councillor Tahir Hussain and 10 others in the case, saying they are liable to be tried for the offence of rioting, arson, promoting religious enmity, criminal conspiracy, voluntarily causing hurt, dacoity, mischief by fire or explosive substance and house-trespass or house-breaking.
According to the prosecution, Tahir Hussain’s building was used by the rioters for “brick batting, stone pelting, pelting of petrol bombs and acid bombs”, and that this material was found lying on the third floor and rooftop of the building. Though Umar Khalid was not part of the mob, he and
Khalid Saifi were accused of criminal conspiracy in the case.
Besides Hussain, the court put on trial Liyakat Ali, Riyasat Ali, Shah Alam, Mohd. Shadab, Mohd. Abid, Rashid Saifi, Gulfam alias VIP, Arshad Qayyum, Irshad Ahmad and Mohd Rihan alias Arshad Pradhan.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, the court framed charges against Hussain, Riyasat Ali, Gulfam, Shah Alam, Rashid Saifi, Arshad, Liyakat Ali, Mohd Shadab, Mohd bid and Irshad Ahmad, registered on the incident of rioting and arson in a banquet hall during the communal violence in northeast Delhi.
The court posted the matter for framing of charges in both matters on December 17.
Communal riots had broken out in north-east Delhi in February 2020, claiming 53 lives and leaving over 700 injured.