In a Delhi court, Umar Khalid’s lawyer said the man was named a conspirator in the 2020 North East Delhi riots only because he belonged to a WhatsApp group. The lawyer also noted that other people who were at the same meeting were not listed as accused by the Delhi Police.
The case was heard in the Karkardooma Court on Thursday. Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai scheduled more arguments for October 14.
Senior Advocate Tridip Pais, who represents Khalid, challenged the police’s claim. He said the work‑group membership alone is not enough to prove a role in a riot conspiracy. Pais also pointed out that the police have not charged the other attendees who were allegedly present at the key meeting.
It was argued that Khalid tried to calm tensions and urged people not to protest, but had no control over the crowd. He was not present at the main meeting on January 8, 2020. According to the court submissions, a call‑detail‑record (CDR) analysis shows he was not in the room when the alleged plan was made.
The lawyer highlighted that there is no evidence Khalid received or raised funds for the riots. He also cited the protected witness Saturn’s statements. Khalid was questioned by police on May 21 and gave a recorded statement on September 27 after his arrest.
Delhi Police have defended the charges, while the accused now argue the basis for the framing of the charges. The conspiracy case names 18 accused, including Sharjeel Imam, Tahir Hussain, Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, Gulfisha Fatima, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Safoora Jargar, Abdul Khalid Saifi, Meeran Haider, Athar Khan, Shifa Ur Rehman and others. The court will reconsider the charges in the coming days.
Source: aninews
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