Student activist Umar Khalid and United Against Hate member Khalid Saifi were acquitted in a case relating to the 2020 North East Delhi riots on Saturday.
Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Pramachala of a Delhi court pronounced the order discharging the two from the Khajuri Khas FIR.
Both have been granted bail in a stone-throwing case in Delhi’s Chandbagh but will remain in jail pertaining to an FIR against them under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) that accuses them of hatching a larger conspiracy behind the riots.
The FIR was registered under sections 109, 114, 147, 148, 149, 153-A, 186, 212, 353, 395, 427, 435, 436, 452, 454, 505, 34 and 120-B of IPC along with sections 3 and 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 25 and 27 of Arms Act.
The charge was filed based on a constable’s declaration that, on February 24, 2020, a sizable crowd had assembled outside Chand Bagh Pulia and began throwing stones.
The crowd allegedly pulled down the parking lot’s shutter, beat up anybody inside, and set fire to the cars while the police officer fled to an adjacent parking lot to protect himself. On February 28, 2020, the matter was subsequently moved to the Crime Branch.
Though Umar Khalid was not part of the mob, he and Khalid Saifi were accused of criminal conspiracy in the case.
The prosecution claims that the alleged rioters used Tahir Hussain’s building for “brick batting, stone pelting, pelting of petrol bombs and acid bombs.” The claimed discovery of the material was also made on the third floor and rooftop of the building.
Granting bail to Khalid, the court stated that Khalid cannot be held behind bars on the basis of the sketchy material against him. It noted he “cannot be made to incarcerate in jail for infinity merely on account of the fact that other persons who were part of the riotous mob have to be identified and arrested in the matter” since the investigation was complete and chargesheet was filed.
