Today, On 5th November, The Delhi High Court dismissed Khalid Saifi’s plea challenging an attempt to murder charge in connection with the Delhi Riots case. Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri delivered the judgment, rejecting Saifi’s revision petition. Saifi had argued for the charge to be set aside, claiming insufficient evidence to support it. The court, however, upheld the lower court’s decision to proceed with the charge.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court rejected a petition from activist Khalid Saifi on Tuesday, which sought to challenge the attempt to murder charge linked to the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri delivered the ruling on Saifi’s revision petition.
Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri said while pronouncing the verdict,
“The petition is dismissed,”
On January 19, a sessions court in Delhi had formally charged Saifi, former Congress councillor Ishrat Jahan, and eleven others with attempt to murder and rioting.
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However, the sessions court had dismissed the charges related to criminal conspiracy and the use of illegal firearms against the accused.
In the Delhi Riots case, the sessions judge had dismissed the criminal conspiracy charge against the accused, calling it “completely bereft of any reasoning” and a “figment of imagination” by the investigating officer, possibly influenced by another case.
However, the judge found enough grounds to charge the accused Ishan Jahan, Khalid Saifi, Vikram Pratap, and others for being part of a “riotous armed mob” that “assembled and refused to follow police directions” to disperse, resorting to stone-throwing and assaulting officers.
As a result, they faced charges under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 147 (rioting), Section 148 (rioting with deadly weapon), Section 186 (obstructing public servant), Section 188 (disobedience to public order), Section 332 (causing hurt to deter public servant), Section 353 (assault to deter public servant), and Section 307 (attempt to murder).
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Saifi subsequently appealed to the High Court, which dismissed his plea today.
Saifi’s legal team contested the attempt to murder charge, arguing that there was insufficient evidence to support the accusation. However, Justice Ohri dismissed Saifi’s appeal, effectively allowing the prosecution to proceed with the charge.
The ruling reaffirms the lower court’s stance, reinforcing that there are sufficient grounds for trial on the charges of rioting and assault against the accused, including Saifi. The decision adds another layer to the legal proceedings surrounding the 2020 Delhi riots, which continue to be closely monitored due to the case’s implications for communal harmony, law enforcement, and the interpretation of criminal conspiracy in India.