Shivangi Prakash-
Delhi Police informed a local Court that Umar Khalid, a former JNU student, who was arrested, in connection to the north-east Delhi riots, cannot claim parity with other accused such as Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal, and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were recently released on regular bail.
Khalid was arrested on September 13, 2020, in the north-east Delhi riots case, which is being probed by the Special Cell, and charges under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have been brought against him.
In response to his bail application, the Delhi Police Department stated that the Supreme Court, in hearing its appeal against the judgments granting bail to Kalita, Narwal, and Tanha, clarified that these judgments are not to be considered precedents and may not be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings.
“So, these judgments cannot be cited and relied upon by the applicant or accused in the instant case”, Delhi Police said.
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Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat adjourned the hearing of bail application for August 7 at the request of Khalid’s lawyer, who received the prosecution’s reply earlier during the morning.
Delhi Police, in its reply, also said that the present case pertains to a “larger conspiracy”. “In total, 21 accused have been arrested in the case till date, out of which charge sheet of 18 accused has been filed, including the present applicant [Mr. Khalid],” the reply said.
“The application filed by the applicant has no merits as would be revealed and demonstrated before this Court by reference to the charge sheet filed before this Court. The prosecution would demonstrate the “prima facie” case against the applicant by reference to and rely upon the charge sheet filed before this Court,” Delhi Police said.
Apart from Khalid, Tanha, Narwal, and Kalita, members of the Jamia Coordination Committee Safoora Zargar, former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain, and others have been charged under the UAPA.