Former JNU student categorically tells judge he has not signed any disclosure statement that the Delhi police may have prepared to include in the chargesheet
Clarion India
NEW DELHI – A Delhi court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to provide security to former Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid in the jail premises, after he was sent to 14-days judicial custody in connection with a case relating to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.
A similar notice was issued to Tihar Jail last week when Khalid was sent on a 10-day judicial remand in another case related to Delhi riots.
On October 1, Khalid was re-arrested by the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police and sent in three-day police custody while he was still in the jail on judicial remand.
On Monday, he was brought before a sessions court where he categorically told the judge that he has not signed any disclosure statement that the Delhi police may have prepared to include in the chargesheet. He had made similar assertion when he was brought before the court after previous police remand 10 days back.
The Wire quoted his counsel Trideep Pais as saying, “Multiple false disclosure statements have been leaked by the Delhi police earlier. That has also led to a completely erroneous narrative. Umar was in police custody for 10 days in FIR 59 (the case related to conspiracy and UAPA charges). At the end of that police custody, Amitabh Rawat, the sessions judge, put it in his order that he has not made any statement.”
“Umar appeared himself and told the judge that he neither made a statement nor signed anything,” Pais said. He added that Khalid only requested the judge to permit him to read a book and meet his parents while in custody.
His counsel, Sanya Kumar and Rakshanda Deka, filed an application before the court seeking security for their client, permission to wear spectacles, leave jail cell, availability of books and reading material.
On this, Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saroha of Tihar court complex stated, “I am of the opinion that the accused should be provided these facilities as per relevant rules. In view of the same, concerned Jail Supdt. is hereby directed to provide adequate security to the accused taking proper precautions that no harm should be caused and to provide the other facilities asked for by the accused.”
On September 13, Umar was arrested under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in another case related to the riots and is accused of hatching a criminal conspiracy to cause communal unrest by inciting people protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens.
He is currently in judicial custody in connection with this case, too. The riots had left 53 people dead and 748 injured.
– With input from IANS