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2020 Delhi riots were ‘pre-planned’, Supreme Court told during hearing of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam's bail pleas
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the Delhi Police and argued that the riots were “pre-planned’.
The Supreme Court heard the bail pleas of Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others accused in the alleged larger conspiracy behind the 2020 Delhi riots on Tuesday.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General SV Raju appeared for the Delhi Police and argued that the riots were “pre-planned’.
They also claimed that the accused delayed the trial, and hence the five-year in jail should not be the basis of bail.
The Delhi police also argued on October 30 that Khalid and his co-accused had used “sponsored” anti-CAA protests as a disguise and a “radicalising catalyst” to trigger nationwide communal riots with the ultimate aim of regime change.
The case is next scheduled for hearing on November 20.
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What Solicitor General said on 2020 Delhi riots
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for Delhi police, made submissions to a bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N V Anjaria, as he vehemently opposed the bail pleas.
“First of all, that myth to be busted. This was not a spontaneous riot. It was a well designed, well crafted, well orchestrated, pre-planned riot. That will emerge from the evidence collected,” said Mehta.
“Speech after speech, statement after statement, there was attempt to divide the society on communal lines. It was not merely an agitation against some act.”
"Sharjeel Imam says it's his heartfelt wish for 'chakka jaam' for every city where Muslims reside. Not just in Delhi," Mehta submitted.
The Delhi Police maintained that there has been no material change in circumstances to revisit the Supreme Court’s earlier decision rejecting Umar Khalid’s bail.
High Court on FIRs of Delhi riots 2020
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Delhi Police to update it on the status of investigations into the FIRs linked to the 2020 North East Delhi riots.
A division bench of Justice Vivek Chaudhary and Justice Manoj Jain listed for November 21 a set of petitions seeking an independent SIT probe into the riots, FIRs against politicians accused of hate speech, and action against police officials.
Listing the matter for Friday, the Court directed Delhi Police counsel Dhruv Pande to provide an investigation status report, including the number of FIRs filed.
