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Parallels between riots, 9/11 terror attacks: Police in court during Khalid’s bail hearing
The prosecutor said that the person who was behind the 9/11 attack never visited the US and the conspiracy meeting took place in Malaysia, claiming that Khalid and others met at another place and discussed the protests.
Opposing the bail petition moved by former JNU student Umar Khalid, an accused in the case of overall conspiracy behind 2020 northeast Delhi riots, the Delhi Police on Friday told a trial court that the accused tried to embarrass the government before the international media, and drew parallels between the planning for the 9/11 World Trade Centre attacks and the riots.
“Just before 9/11 happened when all people were involved, they reached a particular place and took training. A month prior to that, they moved to their respective positions. That is what is relevant in this case also,” special public prosecutor Amit Prasad argued before additional sessions judge Amitabh Rawat on Friday.
He said Khalid’s lawyer Trideep Pais mentioned about the movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7, during his arguments. “However, what was more relevant to be referred to was probably the incident of 9/11 which is very well reflected here,” Prasad said. The Trial of the Chicago 7 was based on the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
The prosecutor said that the person who was behind the 9/11 attack never visited the US and the conspiracy meeting took place in Malaysia, claiming that Khalid and others met at another place and discussed the protests. “There is a foundation to show that violence is likely to happen,” Prasad argued.
He said that Khalid and Sharjeel Imam were “two sides of the same coin”.
“Issue was not CAA, NRC. Issue was you had to somehow embarrass the government and take steps, which would reflect in international media,” Prasad alleged.
Earlier, in his arguments on behalf of Khalid, Trideep Pais told the court that the statement of the witnesses showed that he was falsely implicated and a case can’t be made against him on half truths.
Pais said that police has written fanciful stories in the charge sheet and asked whether his client could be charged under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for calling road blockades in the city.
