Today, On 24th September, Umar Khalid told a Delhi court that the conspiracy case against him in the Delhi Riots is fabricated. His lawyer, Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, alleged “blatant fabrication” of evidence, with witnesses repeating what the investigating officer instructed.
Umar Khalid addressed a Delhi court on Wednesday, asserting that the entire conspiracy case surrounding the Delhi Riots against him is fabricated.
Senior Advocate Trideep Pais, representing Khalid, claimed,
“There has been blatant fabrication of evidence and that witnesses have simply repeated what the investigation officer (IO) instructed them to say.”
Pais stated,
“Please see how blatant the fabrication of evidence is…Witnesses have supported whatever the IO has cooked up. If you honour sees the material against me, you will also come to the conclusion that this is a cooked-up case,”
Earlier, The Delhi High Court had earlier rejected their bail applications. The High Court observed that there was a strong prima facie case against the accused, referred to the stringent bail restrictions under UAPA, and highlighted potential risks to public order if bail was granted.
On 12th September also The Supreme Court adjourned bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case.
On 19th September again, The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of bail pleas filed by Delhi riots accused.
Additionally, On 22nd September, The Supreme Court has issued notice on the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and other accused in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. The hearing is scheduled to take place on October 7.
He further noted that there have been at least 17 instances where courts have determined that the police fabricated evidence in cases related to the Delhi Riots, resulting in over 90 individuals being acquitted in various FIRs.
Pais was making these arguments before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai at the Karkardooma courts, where discussions about charges in the Delhi Riots conspiracy case are ongoing.
The accused in this case include Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Safoora Zargar, Natasha Narwal, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, and Faizan Khan.
The court will continue hearing arguments on October 8.
These riots, which erupted in February 2020, were triggered by conflicts over the proposed Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). According to the Delhi Police, the violence resulted in 53 deaths and numerous injuries.
The case involves allegations that the accused orchestrated a broader conspiracy aimed at inciting multiple riots. A FIR was lodged by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, citing various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the UAPA.
Many of the accused face charges in multiple FIRs, leading to several bail petitions being filed in different courts. Most have remained in custody since 2020.
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 and faces charges of criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly, and other offenses under the UAPA. He has been incarcerated since then and has sought bail from the High Court on two occasions.
Initially, the trial court denied his bail request in March 2022. After the High Court also rejected his plea in October 2022, he escalated the matter to the Supreme Court. In May 2023, the Supreme Court requested a response from the Delhi Police regarding his case, but his plea was adjourned 14 times.
Earlier, On February 14, 2024, Khalid withdrew his bail application from the Supreme Court, citing changed circumstances.
Following this, the trial court rejected his second bail petition on May 28, and the Delhi High Court dismissed his appeal against this decision on September 2.
In response to Khalid’s claim regarding the prolonged trial, which has kept him incarcerated for five years without conviction, the High Court pointed out that the Delhi Police had submitted a chargesheet of 3,000 pages, along with an additional 30,000 pages of electronic evidence.
Click Here to Read Previous Reports on Delhi riots case