‘In jail for 5 years, no proof of violence’: Umar Khalid, two others to SC in 2020 Delhi riots case

Activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and Gulfisha Fatima, who are accused of being part of a “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 Delhi riots, on Friday told the Supreme Court that they did not make calls for violence and had been behind bars for more than five years, Live Law reported.

Khalid told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria that he was not in Delhi when the riots broke out, while Imam said that he had only called for peaceful blockades, Bar and Bench reported. Fatima said that no evidence of violence was found at the protest sites where she was present.

The Supreme Court adjourned the matter till Monday to hear the bail application of their co-accused – Meeran Haider and Shifa Ur Rehman – along with the Delhi Police.

The five activists have challenged a judgement issued by the Delhi High Court on September 2, dismissing their bail applications.

They had been arrested between January and September 2020 in connection with the communal violence that broke out in North East Delhi in February 2020 between supporters of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act and those opposing it. The violence had left 53 dead and hundreds injured. Most of those killed were Muslims.

Khalid, Imam, Fatima, Haider and Rehman were charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the...

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