Opposing the bail plea of Umar Khalid, an accused in Anti Muslim Northeast Delhi violence case, a Special Public Prosecutor on Friday brought the example of the 9/11 attack in the US.
Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad before the Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat, cited the 9/11 example to counter Umar Khalid’s claim that he only sent five messages on a WhatsApp group and was not present at the site.
Referring to the charge sheet, Mr Prasad argued that these people were remotely supervising the protest sites just like the conspirators of the 9/11 attack who were not in the US.
“The person who was behind 9/11 never visited the US. The conspiracy meeting happened in Malaysia. They were no WhatsApp chats available at the time. Today we have documents available that he was part of the group. There is foundation to show that violence is likely to happen,” Prasad told the court.
Mr Prasad said that on February 17, there were indications of the protest turning violent. Such messages were sent in the group. Khalid was in the group, but he remained silent.
Prasad claimed that every person involved in the anti-CAA protests was found to be connected with the Delhi pogrom too. “Difference between 2019 and 2020 is Jamia and Shaheen Bagh were deliberately avoided and women were used as a forefront to make it look like rightful dissent in 2020,” he alleged.
“Issue was not CAA-NRC. The issue was you had to somehow embarrass the Government. In the process of embarrassing the Government, you take steps which will reflect in the international media,” Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad submitted.
Mr Prasad submitted, ”The issue was never CAA-NRC. But it was how to embarrass the government, it is clear from the speeches made. While doing so, you took steps that would reflect in international media. Dard tha Babri ka, Triple Talaq ka, Dard tha 370 ka. The issue was never Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), it was about religious issues like Babri Masjid and Triple Talaq.”
Khalid has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act along with two students of the city’s Jamia Millia Islamia University, Meeran Haider and Safoora Zargar in connection with the Anti-Muslim violence case.
Two days back on 27th January marks the 500 days of imprisonment of Umar Khalid.
A Twitter user Rais Shaikh writes, ‘Taarikh Pe Taarikh’ is getting real! 500 days might just be a number for some, but a young man has lost 500 days of his life being in imprisonment for a crime that has still not been proven. How will you compensate for such a loss @BJP4India? #UmarKhalid500DaysOfArrest
Lawyer and Activists Kawalpreet Kaur tweets, Umar Khalid completes 500 days of his unjust incarceration. A big question on how our judicial system operates, false cases are filed on activists fighting for peace, justice and equal citizenship and they remain in jail under draconian terror charges. #UmarKhalid500DaysOfArrest
The court has fixed the matter for further hearing on January 29, 2022.
Source, NDTV, The Indian Express and Scroll
