Latest news with #UmarKhalid
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Indian Express
Delhi News Live Updates: 104 active Covid-19 cases in capital, health minister says ‘no need to panic'
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta also asserted earlier that the hospitals are well equipped to handle Covid cases. (File photo) Delhi News Live Updates: Amid the recent surge in Covid-19 cases across the country, official data shows Delhi currently has 104 active cases, news agency PTI reported. However, Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Singh has assured the people that there is no need to panic, and the new variant of Covid-19 is only showing symptoms of viral fever so far. He said the government has sent a health advisory to hospitals telling them to be prepared for any eventuality, but it was just a precautionary step and not a sign of alarm. The minister further asserted that government hospitals are '200 per cent prepared' to handle the situation. Delhi weather update today: As the rains subside in Delhi and NCR region, the national capital woke up to humidity and a rise in temperature. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that Delhi will witness partly cloudy skies and the possibility of light thunderstorms on Tuesday morning, with no heat wave warning. It is likely that the maximum temperature for the day will touch 38 degrees Celsius. HC to hear Umar Khalid 's bail plea: The Delhi High Court today is scheduled to hear the bail plea of activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in relation to the 2020 Delhi riots case. The two student activists are accused in the UAPA case related to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal riots in the national capital in February 2020. Earlier this year, Umar Khalid got interim bail by the court to attend a family event. © IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
The Print
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Completely disconnected with Umar Khalid: Sharjeel Imam tells Delhi HC
His speeches and WhatsApp chats never called for any unrest, the counsel added. Imam's counsel urged a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur to show 'compassion' in deciding his bail plea. New Delhi, May 8 (PTI) Activist Sharjeel Imam, accused in a February 2020 riots case, on Thursday argued in the Delhi High Court that he was 'completely disconnected' with the place, time and co-accused, including Umar Khalid. 'This boy has spent more than five years in continuous custody. He is the (family's) breadwinner. He has an old ailing mother and no father,' said Imam's counsel. The counsel reiterated that he was not even in the capital post January 15, 2020 and was arrested by the police from his hometown in Bihar on January 28, 2020 in a separate case. He contended Imam, as a result, did not part take in any of the 'conspiratorial' meetings with others. While the prosecution's conspiracy case was based on messages exchanged among the accused persons, Imam's counsel denied chatting with them saying he was not in purported main WhatsApp group where chakka jams (traffic disruptions) were discussed. The WhatsApp group Imam was a part of, had no messages that even 'remotely incite violence', the lawyer said. 'There is not a single message shown to show one community was pitted against evidence of violence versus 40 evidence of non-violence demolish the case of the prosecution,' the counsel added. The lawyer argued though a witness had alleged that he was 'related to Umar Khalid and some other accused', Imam had no such connection. Imam's lawyer said his client was already facing prosecution in separate cases alleging sedition and hate speech, in which he was granted bail. There were judicial pronouncements that found there was no consequent violence following his speeches, he added. With respect to the police's case that he raised the Shaheen Bagh protest site, the lawyer argued Imam distanced himself from the site on January 2, 2020 apprehending involvement of miscreants and the present case ought not to be 'mixed' with violence that broke earlier in Jamia Milia Islamia in December 2019. Umar Khalid, Imam and several others have been booked under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the 'masterminds' of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and NRC. Imam was arrested in the case on August 25, 2020. The matter would not be heard on May 21. PTI ADS ADS AMK AMK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Completely disconnected with Umar Khalid: Sharjeel Imam tells Delhi HC
New Delhi, Activist Sharjeel Imam, accused in a February 2020 riots case, on Thursday argued in the Delhi High Court that he was "completely disconnected" with the place, time and co-accused, including Umar Khalid. Imam's counsel urged a bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Shalinder Kaur to show "compassion" in deciding his bail plea. His speeches and WhatsApp chats never called for any unrest, the counsel added. "This boy has spent more than five years in continuous custody. He is the breadwinner. He has an old ailing mother and no father," said Imam's counsel. The counsel reiterated that he was not even in the capital post January 15, 2020 and was arrested by the police from his hometown in Bihar on January 28, 2020 in a separate case. He contended Imam, as a result, did not part take in any of the "conspiratorial" meetings with others. While the prosecution's conspiracy case was based on messages exchanged among the accused persons, Imam's counsel denied chatting with them saying he was not in purported main WhatsApp group where chakka jams were discussed. The WhatsApp group Imam was a part of, had no messages that even "remotely incite violence", the lawyer said. "There is not a single message shown to show one community was pitted against evidence of violence versus 40 evidence of non-violence demolish the case of the prosecution," the counsel added. The lawyer argued though a witness had alleged that he was "related to Umar Khalid and some other accused", Imam had no such connection. Imam's lawyer said his client was already facing prosecution in separate cases alleging sedition and hate speech, in which he was granted bail. There were judicial pronouncements that found there was no consequent violence following his speeches, he added. With respect to the police's case that he raised the Shaheen Bagh protest site, the lawyer argued Imam distanced himself from the site on January 2, 2020 apprehending involvement of miscreants and the present case ought not to be "mixed" with violence that broke earlier in Jamia Milia Islamia in December 2019. Umar Khalid, Imam and several others have been booked under Unlawful Activities Act and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the "masterminds" of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured. The violence erupted during the protests against the CAA and NRC. Imam was arrested in the case on August 25, 2020. The matter would not be heard on May 21.
Saudi Gazette
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Five years since deadly Delhi riots, many police cases are falling apart
NEW DELHI — Five years after deadly religious riots engulfed India's capital Delhi, there is no legal closure in sight for the people involved. A BBC Hindi analysis has found that more than 80% of the cases related to the violence where courts gave decisions have resulted in acquittals or discharges. More than 50 people, mostly Muslims, were killed after clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims over a controversial citizenship law in February 2020. The violence, the deadliest the city had seen in decades, stretched on for days, with hundreds of homes and shops set on fire by violent mobs. The BBC had earlier reported on incidents of police brutality and complicity during the riots. The police have denied any wrongdoing and in their investigation, alleged that the violence was "pre-planned" as a part of a larger conspiracy to "threaten India's unity" by the people who were protesting against the law. They registered 758 cases in connection with the investigation and arrested more than 2,000 people. This included 18 student leaders and activists who were arrested in a case that came to be known as the "main conspiracy case". They were charged under a draconian anti-terror law that makes it nearly impossible to get bail. Only six of them have been released in five years, and some like activist Umar Khalid are still in jail, waiting for a trial to begin. BBC Hindi examined the status of all the 758 cases filed in relation to the riots and analyzed the 126 cases in which the Karkardooma court in Delhi had given decisions. More than 80% of these 126 cases resulted in acquittals or discharges as witnesses turned hostile, or did not support the prosecution's case. Only 20 of these cases saw convictions. Under Indian law, an accused is discharged when a court closes a case without a trial because there isn't sufficient evidence to go ahead. An acquittal is when the court finds the accused not guilty after a full trial. In 62 of the 758 cases that were filed on charges related to murder, there was only one conviction and four acquittals, data accessed by the BBC through India's Right to Information law shows. A detailed analysis of the 126 orders also showed that in dozens of cases, the court came down heavily on the Delhi police for lapses in investigations. In some cases, it criticized the police for filing "predetermined chargesheets" that "falsely implicated" the accused. In most of the 126 cases, police officials were presented as witnesses to the events. But for various reasons, the court did not find their testimonies credible. Judges have pointed out inconsistencies in the police statements, delays in identification of the accused by the police and, in some instances, cast doubts over whether policemen were even present when the violence broke out. In two orders, the judge said that he could not "restrain" himself from saying that when history looked back at the riots, the "failure of the investigating agency to conduct a proper investigation" would "torment the sentinels of democracy". The court was hearing cases filed against three men on charges of arson and looting - but concluded they had been arrested without any "real or effective investigation". The Delhi police did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. In a report filed last April, the police had told the court that all investigations were carried out in a "credible, fair and impartial" way. Testimonies from some of the accused and even the court's own observations, however, raise questions about the investigation. Shadab Alam, who spent 80 days in jail, says he can never forget the terror of the riots. He had taken shelter on the rooftop terrace of a medicine store where he worked with a few others. Just hours earlier, the police had arrived at the shop and asked them to shut it because of ongoing arson. "Suddenly, they [the police] came again and took a few of us into their van," he told the BBC. When he asked the police why he was being taken, he said, they accused him of participating in rioting. "They asked us our names and beat us up. Almost all of us arrested were Muslims," Alam said. He added that he submitted his medical report before the court that confirmed three injuries. In its official report, the police charged Alam and 10 other Muslims of burning down a shop. But the court discharged all of them even before the trial could begin. In its observations, the court criticised the police investigation saying that the witness's statements could have been "artificially prepared", and that "in all probabilities" the shop was burnt by a "mob of persons from the Hindu community". It said the police did not pursue the case in that direction, despite being present when the incident happened. Alam had to wait four years for the case to be officially closed. "All this happened during Covid-19 pandemic. There was a lockdown. We were in a state of frenzy," said Dilshad Ali, Alam's father. "In the end, nothing was proved. But we had to spend so much time and money to prove our innocence." He said the family wanted monetary compensation for their losses. "If the police made a false case against my son, then action should be taken against them," he added. In another case, the court acquitted Sandip Bhati, who was accused of dragging and beating a Muslim man during the riots. The police had submitted two videos to show Bhati was the culprit. But in court, his lawyer said that the police had submitted an incomplete clip to frame his client. In the full video, which the BBC has verified, Bhati is seen saving the Muslim man instead of beating him up. In its order in January, the court ruled that the police "manipulated" the video to "frame" Bhati instead of tracing the "actual culprits". It also asked the commissioner of Delhi police to take appropriate action against the investigating officer in the case. The police did not respond to BBC Hindi's question on whether this had been done. Bhati, who spent four months in prison, refused to comment, saying he did not wish to discuss his "ordeal". With so many acquittals, former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur said, the prosecution and police "should sit down to introspect what they have achieved in five years". He also said that "accountability needs to be fixed on the prosecution as well if the arrest is found to be illegal or unnecessary". "If the prosecution puts someone in jail because they have the power to do so or because they want to do so, they should not be allowed to get away with it if the incarceration is found to be illegal or unnecessary," he added. Even as some cases fall apart in courts, many of those arrested are still languishing in jail awaiting a trial. Gulfisha Fatima, a 33-year-old PhD aspirant, is among 12 activists who are still in jail on charges of being "conspirators" of the riots. Her family said three other police cases were lodged against her and she got bail in all of them. But she continues to face incarceration in a fourth case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the stringent anti-terror law that sets exceptionally challenging conditions for bail. "Since she's gone to jail, with every hearing we hope she will finally come out," her father Syed Tasneef Hussain told the BBC. In Ms Fatima's case, after months of hearing the bail plea, the judge from the Delhi High Court got transferred in 2023, and now the entire case is being heard again. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to see her or if I'll die before that," Hussain said. — BBC
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five years since deadly Delhi riots, many police cases are falling apart
Five years after deadly religious riots engulfed India's capital Delhi, there is no legal closure in sight for the people involved. A BBC Hindi analysis has found that more than 80% of the cases related to the violence where courts gave decisions have resulted in acquittals or discharges. More than 50 people, mostly Muslims, were killed after clashes broke out between Hindus and Muslims over a controversial citizenship law in February 2020. The violence - the deadliest the city had seen in decades - stretched on for days, with hundreds of homes and shops set on fire by violent mobs. The BBC had earlier reported on incidents of police brutality and complicity during the riots. The police have denied any wrongdoing and in their investigation, alleged that the violence was "pre-planned" as a part of a larger conspiracy to "threaten India's unity" by the people who were protesting against the law. They registered 758 cases in connection with the investigation and arrested more than 2,000 people. This included 18 student leaders and activists who were arrested in a case that came to be known as the "main conspiracy case". They were charged under a draconian anti-terror law that makes it nearly impossible to get bail. Only six of them have been released in five years, and some like activist Umar Khalid are still in jail, waiting for a trial to begin. BBC Hindi examined the status of all the 758 cases filed in relation to the riots and analysed the 126 cases in which the Karkardooma court in Delhi had given decisions. More than 80% of these 126 cases resulted in acquittals or discharges as witnesses turned hostile, or did not support the prosecution's case. Only 20 of these cases saw convictions. Under Indian law, an accused is discharged when a court closes a case without a trial because there isn't sufficient evidence to go ahead. An acquittal is when the court finds the accused not guilty after a full trial. In 62 of the 758 cases that were filed on charges related to murder, there was only one conviction and four acquittals, data accessed by the BBC through India's Right to Information law shows. A detailed analysis of the 126 orders also showed that in dozens of cases, the court came down heavily on the Delhi police for lapses in investigations. In some cases, it criticised the police for filing "predetermined chargesheets" that "falsely implicated" the accused. In most of the 126 cases, police officials were presented as witnesses to the events. But for various reasons, the court did not find their testimonies credible. Judges have pointed out inconsistencies in the police statements, delays in identification of the accused by the police and, in some instances, cast doubts over whether policemen were even present when the violence broke out. In two orders, the judge said that he could not "restrain" himself from saying that when history looked back at the riots, the "failure of the investigating agency to conduct a proper investigation" would "torment the sentinels of democracy". The court was hearing cases filed against three men on charges of arson and looting - but concluded they had been arrested without any "real or effective investigation". The Delhi police did not respond to the BBC's request for comment. In a report filed last April, the police had told the court that all investigations were carried out in a "credible, fair and impartial" way. Testimonies from some of the accused and even the court's own observations, however, raise questions about the investigation. Shadab Alam, who spent 80 days in jail, says he can never forget the terror of the riots. He had taken shelter on the rooftop terrace of a medicine store where he worked with a few others. Just hours earlier, the police had arrived at the shop and asked them to shut it because of ongoing arson. "Suddenly, they [the police] came again and took a few of us into their van," he told the BBC. When he asked the police why he was being taken, he said, they accused him of participating in rioting. "They asked us our names and beat us up. Almost all of us arrested were Muslims," Mr Alam said. He added that he submitted his medical report before the court that confirmed three injuries. In its official report, the police charged Mr Alam and 10 other Muslims of burning down a shop. But the court discharged all of them even before the trial could begin. In its observations, the court criticised the police investigation saying that the witness's statements could have been "artificially prepared", and that "in all probabilities" the shop was burnt by a "mob of persons from the Hindu community". It said the police did not pursue the case in that direction, despite being present when the incident happened. Mr Alam had to wait four years for the case to be officially closed. "All this happened during Covid-19 pandemic. There was a lockdown. We were in a state of frenzy," said Dilshad Ali, Alam's father. "In the end, nothing was proved. But we had to spend so much time and money to prove our innocence." He said the family wanted monetary compensation for their losses. "If the police made a false case against my son, then action should be taken against them," he added. In another case, the court acquitted Sandip Bhati, who was accused of dragging and beating a Muslim man during the riots. The police had submitted two videos to show Mr Bhati was the culprit. But in court, his lawyer said that the police had submitted an incomplete clip to frame his client. In the full video, which the BBC has verified, Mr Bhati is seen saving the Muslim man instead of beating him up. In its order in January, the court ruled that the police "manipulated" the video to "frame" Mr Bhati instead of tracing the "actual culprits". It also asked the commissioner of Delhi police to take appropriate action against the investigating officer in the case. The police did not respond to BBC Hindi's question on whether this had been done. Mr Bhati, who spent four months in prison, refused to comment, saying he did not wish to discuss his "ordeal". With so many acquittals, former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur said, the prosecution and police "should sit down to introspect what they have achieved in five years". He also said that "accountability needs to be fixed on the prosecution as well if the arrest is found to be illegal or unnecessary". "If the prosecution puts someone in jail because they have the power to do so or because they want to do so, they should not be allowed to get away with it if the incarceration is found to be illegal or unnecessary," he added. Even as some cases fall apart in courts, many of those arrested are still languishing in jail awaiting a trial. Gulfisha Fatima, a 33-year-old PhD aspirant, is among 12 activists who are still in jail on charges of being "conspirators" of the riots. Her family said three other police cases were lodged against her and she got bail in all of them. But she continues to face incarceration in a fourth case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) - the stringent anti-terror law that sets exceptionally challenging conditions for bail. "Since she's gone to jail, with every hearing we hope she will finally come out," her father Syed Tasneef Hussain told the BBC. In Ms Fatima's case, after months of hearing the bail plea, the judge from the Delhi High Court got transferred in 2023, and now the entire case is being heard again. "Sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to see her or if I'll die before that," Mr Hussain said. 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