New Delhi: The Delhi police fiercely resisted the bail requests made by activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others in the February 2020 riots case on Thursday, claiming that anti-national behavior by physicians and engineers has become common. Speaking on behalf of the Delhi police, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju informed a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria that the accused was responsible for the trial’s delay and could not exploit it.
Videos of Imam making “inflammatory speeches” against the Citizenship Amendment Act were displayed by Raju in the Supreme Court. Before the riots in Delhi in February 2020, the tapes showed Imam speaking in Chakhand, Jamia, Aligarh, and Asansol in 2019 and 2020. The counsel noted that Imam has a degree in engineering and stated, “Nowadays there is a trend that doctors, engineers are not doing their professions but engaging in anti-national activities.”
Raju added, “It’s not a simple protest. These are violent protests. They are talking about blockades.” At this stage, Justice Kumar asked if the speeches were part of the chargesheet, to which Raju replied in the affirmative. Khalid, Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Rehman were charged under the UAPA, the strict anti-terror law, and the provisions of the former IPC for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the 2020 riots that resulted in over 700 injuries and 53 fatalities. The violence erupted during widespread protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). After 2:00 pm, the hearing will resume.
Delhi Police Reject Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam’s Bail Request
