New Delhi, Pretr. Delhi Police had strongly opposed the bail of the accused of Delhi riots in the Supreme Court. The police had told the court that Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others had conspired to attack the sovereignty and integrity of the country by carrying out a 'campaign for regime change' under the guise of a peaceful protest. The alleged crimes included a deliberate attempt to destabilize the country, which should have been punished with jail and not bail.
Delhi Police claimed that the riots were not spontaneous but were part of a well-planned, pre-planned and organized conspiracy. The evidence gathered from the period before the conspiracy was carried out, documented communications, coordinated planning and coordination between various parties, establish a clear consensus of views.
Delayed the case so that they could demand automatic bail
The police had said that it has collected direct, documentary and technical evidence against the accused which shows their underlying, deep and strong involvement in instigating nationwide riots on communal lines. The material collected reflects not only information but also intent, revealing a well-intentioned plan to defame the country through targeted and strategic actions.
The police said that the petitioners have delayed the commencement of the trial for malicious and mischievous reasons so that they can pretend to be victims and seek bail on the ground of long imprisonment. "The conduct of the accused and the irrefutable and direct evidence available against them do not entitle them to seek any relief of bail from this court," the police said in an affidavit filed in the apex court.
The police refuted the argument that the trial was unlikely to be completed due to 900 witnesses, saying it was a fabricated argument to obtain bail. Police claimed that Khalid and Imam disrupted the 'secular fabric' of JNU, created a communal WhatsApp group named Muslim Students of JNU and also used Jamia Millia Islamia students to instigate and organize them.
What else did the police say in the court?
Police said, 'They started instigating students in Jamia and Shaheen Bagh. They adopted the model of 'chakka-jaam' in the name of protest and conspired to turn it into a violent 'chakka-jaam' at the appropriate time, thereby disrupting supplies and services essential for normal life and attempting to separate the Indian provinces from India.
Claimed that the motive behind the chakka-jaam was to cause large-scale killing and injury of policemen and non-Muslims through communal riots. Under the direction of Umar Khalid and other top conspirators, Imam planned and executed the first phase of Delhi riots from December 13 to December 20, 2019.
Sharjeel Imam was playing an important role in carrying out the first phase of Delhi riots and this can be proved from the chat of Sharjeel Imam. Police said that in January, 2020, Khalid had held a secret meeting with Gulfisha Fatima, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and others in Seelampur, in which he had instructed them to instigate local women of Seelampur to collect knives, bottles, acid, stones, chilli powder and other dangerous materials for rioting.
The affidavit accuses Fatima of acting as the key coordinator who helped the peaceful sit-in turn into violent demonstrations. Jamia Coordination Committee member Meeran Haider is accused of overseeing the protest sites that lasted for several days, collecting funds and inciting protesters to attack police and non-Muslims.