The top court to continue hearing on the bail pleas by the main accused in the Delhi Riots case on Monday
NEW DELHI —The Delhi Police on Friday told the Supreme Court that Umar Khalid and five other accused persons in the larger conspiracy case connected to Delhi riots of 2020 aimed at a regime change in the country through riots like in Bangladesh and Nepal.
This came during a hearing in the top court on the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, Gulfisha Fatima, Meeran Haider, Shadab Ahmed and Mohd Saleem Khan.
Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for Delhi Police, told a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and NV Anjaria that the accused persons carried sticks, acid bottles, firearms when protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), according to a report by Bar and Bench.
“Conspiracy to commit murder. The larger purpose was regime change. All those who went for the so-called dharna carried sticks, acid bottles and firearms. The systematic plan was to have a regime change riot like it happened in Bangladesh or Nepal. This was the extent of the conspiracy. These were people who have scant regard to the Constitution. Since 43(d)(5) is covered this is not a case for bail,” Raju contended.
He also told the court that sticks and lathis were stockpiled, CCTV cameras were covered and that a police official had been killed during the unrest.
On the issue of prolonged incarceration, Umar Khalid has spent over five years in jail and Sharjeel Imam nearly as long, the Delhi Police insisted that the delay was attributable to the accused themselves. They alleged a brazen abuse of the judicial process through frivolous applications, repeated pleas designed to stall progress, and coordinated non-cooperation during the trial.
“They cannot now take advantage of the delay they engineered,” the ASG told the court. He further assured the court that if the accused cooperate, the police would ensure that the trial is completed within two years. But the nature of the case, he argued, involving a multi-layered conspiracy, dozens of protected witnesses and thousands of pages of digital evidence, necessitated a careful and time-consuming process.
Further hearing to continue on Monday, post lunch.
