NEW DELHI: While rejecting their bail, the Supreme Court placed Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam on a ‘different footing’ from others, citing evidence presented by Delhi Police. In their chargesheet, police accused Khalid as the central figure and Sharjeel as his protégé. Besides the chats in two WhatsApp groups allegedly used for coordinating the violence and statements of ‘protected witnesses’, police cited a range of other evidence against the duo.A 720-second phone call between Khalid (location: Samastipur, Bihar) and Natasha Narwal, and forensically verified clips of their speeches, were also placed on record. Cops said there was a flurry of calls between Khalid, Narwal and others after it was reported that head constable Ratanlal was killed in the riots.
Regarding Sharjeel, cops cited a clip in which he is reportedly saying: “Hamari khwahish aur arzoo hai ki Dilli mein chakka jaam ho… yeh to aaj hua hai, yeh chingaari thee ismein 3000-4000 log they, agar organised way mein ho… toh aur log ayenge… Ye flyover gire zara, pooree dunia ko khabar hogi. Samajh rahe hain na?… Yeh chingari kahan jayegi? Aag kaise lagegi?”Khalid, the chargesheet claimed, was also present in Jamia Millia Islamia on Dec 15 when the violence (phase I) broke out there and left 100 civilians and 45 police personnel injured. The judicial statements of witnesses — coded as James, Bond, Crypton and Sierra — also accused them of being the central figures who were allegedly calling the shots.
SC denies bail to Sharjeel, Umar
Police cited these judicial statements and corroborated them with mobile location to allege that Khalid held meetings with the co-accused before the violence broke out. A witness deposed in his statement under Section 164 CrPC: “I have been working at Tahir Hussain’s place for four-five years. On Jan 8, 2020, when we reached Shaheen Bagh, I saw Umar Khalid and others going into an office after Hussain.”“CDR location of mobile number 9205****** of accused Umar Khalid on Jan 8 corroborated his presence at Shaheen Bagh at the time. On the intervening night of Jan 23-24, 2020, Khalid visited the Seelampur protest site and addressed the gathering. Thereafter, he held a meeting at E-1/13, New Seelampur and the same was attended by Gulfisha, Natasha Narawal, Devangana Kalita, Tasleem and others. In this meeting, Umar Khalid directed the above said (sic) accused persons to induce local women of Seelampur to stockpile knives, bottles, acids, stones, chilli powder and other dangerous articles to engineer riots,” the chargesheet alleged.Also read: ‘Ab yahi zindagi hai’: Umar Khalid reacts after Supreme Court denies bail; partner shares brief chatPolice also alleged that on Feb 10, 2020, a protest was called by Jamaat-e-Islami Hind at Jantar Mantar, comprising residents of Jahangirpuri. Khalid, cops alleged, attended the protest and instructed them to instigate illegal Bangladeshi residents of Jahangirpuri to participate in their endeavour. Another statement allegedly made by Khalid at Amravati was also submitted.Towards the end, police contended that Khalid deliberately left Delhi on Feb 23, 2020, just before the riots erupted, in order to create an alibi. They cited a witness who said that Khalid insisted on booking for Feb 23 even though he said tickets were expensive.
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