In a dramatic development in the 2020 Delhi riots case, the Delhi Police is preparing to tell the Supreme Court that the violence which shook the national capital was not a sudden outburst, but a carefully coordinated attempt to destabilise the Indian state.
Sources quoted by CNN-News18 said these claims are detailed in a 177-page affidavit that is being filed in response to bail pleas from several accused, including student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam.
According to the police, investigators have compiled extensive ocular, documentary, and technical evidence indicating that the riots were the result of a well-planned conspiracy driven by communal motives. “The plan was designed to weaponise public dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and strike at the sovereignty and integrity of India,” the affidavit reportedly states.
Violence Followed a Nationwide Pattern, Says Police
Investigators have argued that the “organised and calibrated” violence was not limited to Delhi, but reflected a pattern seen in other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, and Karnataka. “This was not an isolated event but a synchronised effort to destabilise the government through orchestrated unrest,” the document notes.
In addition, the affidavit accuses the accused persons of exploiting the judicial process by filing “frivolous applications” and employing coordinated tactics to delay proceedings. The police have claimed that such behaviour amounts to “a brazen abuse of process” which has obstructed the course of justice.
Supreme Court to Examine Affidavit and Bail Pleas
The Supreme Court is now expected to review the affidavit as part of its ongoing hearings on bail petitions and procedural delays in the trial. The Delhi Police is being represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, along with advocates Rajat Nair and Dhruv Pande.
The riots, which broke out in February 2020 amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, resulted in the deaths of 53 people and left hundreds injured. The violence remains one of the most severe communal clashes witnessed in the capital in recent years.
Accused Described as ‘Intellectual Architects’ of the Violence
Earlier, the Delhi High Court observed that Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were among the earliest organisers of the anti-CAA protests in December 2019. They allegedly mobilised participants through speeches, pamphlets, and WhatsApp groups. Investigators claim that these activities eventually evolved into a wider conspiracy that culminated in the February 2020 violence.
