In a major development, the Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested former JNU student leader Umar Khalid under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
Umar Khalid was summoned by Delhi Police on Saturday and he was asked to join the investigation on Sunday at the Special Cell office. Police have already questioned him on July 31 and seized his smartphone. He arrived around 1 pm and was questioned during the day before being arrested in the evening. Delhi Police will be filing a charge sheet against him in a couple of days and will be producing him before a Delhi court on Monday, as reported by Indian Express.
An FIR was registered against Khalid on March 6, which stated that the Northeast Delhi riots were a premeditated conspiracy hatched by Khalid, one Danish, and two others associated with different organizations. Khalid allegedly gave provocative speeches at two different places and appealed to the citizens to come out on the streets and block the roads during the visit of US President Donald Trump to spread propaganda at the international level about how minorities in India are being persecuted.
The FIR further added that as a part of this conspiracy, firearms, petrol bombs, acid bottles, and stones were stored at homes in Kardampuri, Jafrabad, Chand Bagh, Gokulpuri, Shiv Vihar and nearby areas.
The co-accused, Danish, was given the responsibility to gather people from different places to take part in the violence. Hundreds of Women and children were made to block the roads under the Jafrabad Metro Station on February 23 to create tension amidst the neighbourhood people. It is important to state that all the Muslim schools were closed in that area, which proves that it was a pre-planned conspiracy.
Before that the Delhi Police on Saturday, have named CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, Swaraj Abhiyan leader Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, Delhi University professor and activist Apoorvanand, and documentary filmmaker Rahul Roy as co-conspirators in the February Delhi riots case in its supplementary charge sheet.
