A Delhi court on Sunday sent former Jawaharlal Nehru University student activist Umar Khalid to judicial custody for 14 days in a case related to the violence that rocked Northeast Delhi in February, reported PTI. The case is related to the riots in Khajuri Khas area.
Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha asked the jail superintendent to provide adequate security to Khalid. In an application filed through his counsel advocate Trideep Pais, Khalid had sought adequate security in prison so that he is not harmed by anyone in judicial custody.
A case of rioting was registered at the Khajuri Khas Police Station in which 15 people, including suspended Aam Aadmi Party Councillor Tahi Hussain, were arrested. The court had earlier sent Khalid to police custody for three days in the case.
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The magistrate asked the jail authorities to allow Khalid two legal interviews a week using the video conferencing facility for at least 30 minutes each. Khalid also informed the court that he has not signed any statements or documents during his police custody.
Khalid was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a separate case related a larger conspiracy in the violence. He was sent to judicial custody till October 22 in the UAPA case.
Clashes had broken out between the supporters of the Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it between February 23 and 26 in North East Delhi, killing 53 people and injuring hundreds. The police were accused of either inaction or complicity in some instances of violence, mostly in Muslim neighbourhoods.
The Delhi Police claim the violence was part of a larger conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government and was hatched by those who organised the protests against the amended Citizenship Act. They further claimed the protestors had secessionist motives and were using “the façade of civil disobedience” to destabilise the government. The police have arrested several activists and students based on these “conspiracy” charges.
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