Delhi 2020 riots: police singled me out, Umar Khalid tells court docket

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University scholar Umar Khalid on Thursday (October 9, 2025) submitted earlier than a Delhi court docket that he was “singled out” by the police within the bigger conspiracy case pertaining to north-east Delhi riots, whereas many with “greater roles weren’t made an accused”.

The communal riots that broke out in February 2020 in north-east Delhi left 53 folks lifeless and a whole bunch displaced.

The submissions had been made earlier than the Additional Sessions Judge Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Courts, who’s listening to the case that’s on the stage of framing prices in opposition to Mr. Khalid and others.

Senior advocate Trideep Pais, representing Mr. Khalid, identified that the police’s chargesheet talked about a number of WhatsApp teams and requested if his shopper was named an accused for being a part of these teams, then why had been not one of the admins or members of the teams made accused.

The defence additionally highlighted one other declare within the chargesheet that Mr. Khalid had attended a “conspiratorial assembly” in Jangpura on December 8, 2019.

Mr. Pais instructed the court docket that the assembly was additionally attended by activist and politician Yogendra Yadav and human rights activist Nadeem Khan, as submitted by the witnesses, and requested what the distinction was between Mr. Yadav and others who attended the assembly and his shopper, who was booked underneath the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

“If that is the conspiracy on which you might be pegging… why haven’t you booked others as accused,” requested the senior advocate.

Pointing out the submissions of different witnesses who had instructed the police that they’d heard Mr. Khalid saying that “college students would launch protests throughout India, together with Muslim college students”, Mr. Pais requested in regards to the “terror angle” in holding demonstrations and protests.

Mr. Khalid, who had spent over 5 years in jail, prior to now hearings, had alleged that police had “fabricated proof” to implicate him within the case.

The matter will now be heard on October 14.

The police had additionally booked Tahir Hussain, Khalid Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-Ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd. Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan, and Natasha Narwal underneath the UAPA and different prices.

Mr. Khalid’s bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court earlier final month.