Delhi riots larger conspiracy case: Umar Khalid calls FIR against him a ‘joke’; next hearing on Wednesday | Delhi News
NEW DELHI: Umar Khalid described the FIR in the UAPA case related to the 2020 Delhi riots larger conspiracy as “a joke” on Thursday.Senior advocate Trideep Pais, representing Khalid, made the submissions before the court of additional sessions judge Sameer Bajpai, while opposing the framing of charges.Pais said that the FIR, in which the prosecution has claimed deaths of 51 people, is unnecessary as these deaths are being addressed in other FIRs. He said that the FIR lacked the sanctity of law and the seriousness of offences as alleged by Delhi Police. If the conspiracy charge was genuine, it would be connected to other offences committed at the time, he said.The counsel also cited various orders in other riots cases where courts had made critical observations when discharging or acquitting the accused. Referring to one such order, Pais said there was apparent bias from the investigating agency, alleging that the prosecution initially decided to implicate a person and then targeted him by fabricating documents and filing a chargesheet.“You first decide this person has to be implicated…then we will see how it has to be done. Reverse engineering is happening,” Pais said.The senior advocate, referring to Delhi Police’s first supplementary chargesheet, claimed that the allegations had no basis either in witness statements. Pointing out the chargesheet’s reference to Khalid as a “veteran of sedition” and the allegation that he used derogatory words about India in 2016, Pais said the case clearly indicated that Khalid did not utter the said words.Khalid was arrested on Sept 13, 2020. He was denied bail by a division bench of Delhi High Court this Sept 2 and has approached the Supreme Court challenging the denial of bail.Delhi High Court denied bail to 8 other co-accused.
