Skip to main content
Sabrang
Sabrang
Rule of Law

Protest was secular, chargesheet is communal: Dr. Umar Khalid’s counsel

Senior Advocate appearing for Khalid in his bail plea argued that the police witness was identified only one month before his arrest; Chakka Jam is not an offence, used in many agitations

Sabrangindia 03 Nov 2021

Delhi SessionImage Courtesy:rediff.com

Delhi Sessions Court continued to hear Dr. Umar Khalid’s bail plea in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, where his counsel Senior Advocate Trideep Pais argued that creating a chakka jam (road block) or being a part of a Whatsapp group cannot be a criminal act. He argued that Chakka Jam is not an offence and that it's used by students and also done in various agitations.

Reading the contents of the first supplementary chargesheet, Pais submitted that the allegation is in pursuance of common conspiracy, the protest of December 10, 2019 was held. He argued that the police have no material to show that Khalid was present at Jantar Mantar. He also rebuffed the allegation that Khalid created the Jamia Coordination Committee Whatsapp group. He further argues that there were others who were a part of the group, however, they were not made accused in the case. How is being a part of the group a crime when all these people who have responsibilities are not an accused, he questioned. He pointed out that during the four months that the group was active, there were only 4 messages by Khalid and rest have written multiple messages yet, only he has been arrested among them.

He also pointed out that there was only one police witness from the entire crowd and he was found in August 2020, one month before Khalid’s arrest; also, that witness only named a few people who are now accused in this case, from the entire crowd. He also stated that the chargesheet alleges that Khalid visited Jamia which resulted in violence there, however there is no witness to prove this.

“The protest was secular, the chargesheet is communal,” declared Pais during the arguments.

As we have previously reported in SabrangIndia, Pais has also argued that the Police misquoted Khalid’s speech and the chargesheet against him is a fertile imagination of the Police.

In September, Khalid, who has been booked under the anti-terror law, completed a year in prison. He has been accused of sections 13 (Punishment for unlawful activities), 16 (Punishment for terrorist act), 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act) and 18 (Punishment for conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The arguments on behalf of Dr. Khalid will continue on November 8.

Related:

Chargesheet against me looks like a film script: Umar Khalid to court
Delhi violence: HC transfers Judge who criticised Delhi Police's investigation
Delhi violence: Jailed activist Gulfisha Fatima accuses Delhi Police of diversionary tactics

Protest was secular, chargesheet is communal: Dr. Umar Khalid’s counsel

Senior Advocate appearing for Khalid in his bail plea argued that the police witness was identified only one month before his arrest; Chakka Jam is not an offence, used in many agitations

Delhi SessionImage Courtesy:rediff.com

Delhi Sessions Court continued to hear Dr. Umar Khalid’s bail plea in the Delhi riots conspiracy case, where his counsel Senior Advocate Trideep Pais argued that creating a chakka jam (road block) or being a part of a Whatsapp group cannot be a criminal act. He argued that Chakka Jam is not an offence and that it's used by students and also done in various agitations.

Reading the contents of the first supplementary chargesheet, Pais submitted that the allegation is in pursuance of common conspiracy, the protest of December 10, 2019 was held. He argued that the police have no material to show that Khalid was present at Jantar Mantar. He also rebuffed the allegation that Khalid created the Jamia Coordination Committee Whatsapp group. He further argues that there were others who were a part of the group, however, they were not made accused in the case. How is being a part of the group a crime when all these people who have responsibilities are not an accused, he questioned. He pointed out that during the four months that the group was active, there were only 4 messages by Khalid and rest have written multiple messages yet, only he has been arrested among them.

He also pointed out that there was only one police witness from the entire crowd and he was found in August 2020, one month before Khalid’s arrest; also, that witness only named a few people who are now accused in this case, from the entire crowd. He also stated that the chargesheet alleges that Khalid visited Jamia which resulted in violence there, however there is no witness to prove this.

“The protest was secular, the chargesheet is communal,” declared Pais during the arguments.

As we have previously reported in SabrangIndia, Pais has also argued that the Police misquoted Khalid’s speech and the chargesheet against him is a fertile imagination of the Police.

In September, Khalid, who has been booked under the anti-terror law, completed a year in prison. He has been accused of sections 13 (Punishment for unlawful activities), 16 (Punishment for terrorist act), 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act) and 18 (Punishment for conspiracy) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The arguments on behalf of Dr. Khalid will continue on November 8.

Related:

Chargesheet against me looks like a film script: Umar Khalid to court
Delhi violence: HC transfers Judge who criticised Delhi Police's investigation
Delhi violence: Jailed activist Gulfisha Fatima accuses Delhi Police of diversionary tactics

Related Articles

Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Theme

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Campaigns

Sunday

03

Jan

Pan-India

Saturday

05

Dec

05 pm onwards

Rise in Rage!

North Gate, JNU campus

Thursday

26

Nov

10 am onwards

Delhi Chalo

Pan India

Videos

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

Communalism

Bastar violence: Anti-Christian Campaign causes breach in Adivasi unity

Hundreds of Adivasi church-goers across villages in Narayanpur and Bastar, Chhattisgarh have been experiencing boycott, intimidation and violence since December last year, forcing them to leave their homes and live in refugee camps. Reportedly, Adivasi districts across Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh is seeing a rise Hindutva mobilisation against Christians .

IN FACT

Analysis

Stop Hate

Hate and Harmony in 2021

A recap of all that transpired across India in terms of hate speech and even outright hate crimes, as well as the persecution of those who dared to speak up against hate. This disturbing harvest of hate should now push us to do more to forge harmony.
Taliban 2021

Taliban in Afghanistan: A look back

Communalism Combat had taken a deep dive into the lives of people of Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. Here we reproduce some of our archives documenting the plight of hapless Afghanis, especially women, who suffered the most under the hardline regime.
2020

Milestones 2020

In the year devastated by the Covid 19 Pandemic, India witnessed apathy against some of its most marginalised people and vilification of dissenters by powerful state and non state actors. As 2020 draws to a close, and hundreds of thousands of Indian farmers continue their protest in the bitter North Indian cold. Read how Indians resisted all attempts to snatch away fundamental and constitutional freedoms.
Migrant Diaries

Migrant Diaries

The 2020 COVID pandemic brought to fore the dismal lives that our migrant workers lead. Read these heartbreaking stories of how they lived before the pandemic, how the lockdown changed their lives and what they’re doing now.

Archives