NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police has opposed the bail plea of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the UAPA case linked to “larger conspiracy” behind the 2020 north-east Delhi riots. In an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Thursday, it said that the “materials and chats” on record referring to Donald Trump indicated that the “conspiracy was pre-planned and sought to be replicated and executed pan India.”The counsel for Umar Khalid, on Tuesday argued before a Delhi court that no criminality could be attributed to Khalid in the 2020 Delhi riots conspiracy case. He contended that there was no evidence of any criminal act by Khalid, emphasizing that mere membership in a WhatsApp group did not constitute a crime, especially since Khalid had not sent any messages in the group.The affidavit further said that the “conspiracy” was aimed at drawing attention of the “international media” and portray the Citizenship Amendment Act as “an act pogrom of Muslims community in India,” ANI reported citing the statement.The issue of CAA was carefully chosen as to serve as a “radicalising catalyst” camouflaged in the name of “peaceful protest”, affidavit said, according to the news agency.It said that the “deep-rooted, premeditated and pre-planned conspiracy” led to the death of 53 people and large-scale damage to public property.Kahild’s counsel, however, has pointed out inconsistencies in the police’s claims, noting that Trump’s visit was only reported on February 13, yet the FIR alleged that conspirators knew the date by February 8. He also highlighted call detail records showing Khalid was not present at a December 8, 2019 meeting in Jangpura where the alleged conspiracy was planned, and referred to a protected witness’s statement about a separate secret meeting supposedly tied to the conspiracy.The affidavit came after SC criticized the Delhi Police for not filing its reply to the bail applications of Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, and Shifa Ur Rehman. The pleas challenge the Delhi high court’s order denying them bail in the UAPA case concerning the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
