Why is Umar Khalid arrested and what are the charges levelled by Delhi Police

Umar Khalid was called for interrogation on Saturday afternoon. After 11 hours of questioning, he was put under arrest at 11 pm.

Key Highlights

• Special cell will confront him with other accused and digital evidence

• Khalid was questioned at least two times earlier

• His mobile phone was also confiscated in second round of questioning

New Delhi: The role of JNU scholar Umar Khalid has come in two specific instances in the month of February before riots, where he was found to be delivering anti-national speeches and held meetings with various groups organisations including PFI (Popular Front of India). He was also a part of a WhatsApp group whose some members have already been arrested, sources told Mirror Now.

Sources said special cell has found that a WhatsApp group called "Delhi Protests Support Group" DPSG was made during anti-CAA protest and Khalid was a member of this group.

The other group members like Pinjra Tod Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal, Jamia coordination committee member Safoora Zargar have already been arrested. Delhi University professor Apoorvanand who is another member has already been questioned.

Sources said at one of the occasions he had met with Tahir Hussain, ex-AAP councillor, during the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh. He also held a meeting with various group members in Seelampur to carve out a plan on how the anti-CAA protest could be intensified.

Sources said they had to corroborate and establish the role of Umar Khalid in Delhi riots. Following, thorough investigations and statements of accused and digital evidence which proved the movement of Umar Khalid at certain places where he held meetings related to protests.

His mobile phone was also confiscated and various chats related to the protests and riots were also found on his mobile phone.

On Friday, he was arrested following an eleven hour of questioning at Lodhi Colony office of the special cell. He was booked under the sections of conspiracy, rioting, sedition, murder, attempt to murder and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Delhi Police Special Cell had registered a case of conspiracy and sedition in the month of March and subsequently, added the section of UAPA in April when they found out a larger conspiracy into the Delhi riots.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police crime branch also registered a case of rioting on the complaint of a Delhi police sub-inspector on March 2020, who mentioned about the speeches of Umar Khalid where he has purportedly provoked people to do "Chakka Jam" during the US president Donal Trump visit to Delhi.

Later, this crime branch FIR was also shared with the special cell and cell nabbed over a dozen of persons, who were the associates of Umar Khalid or most of them were part of anti-CAA protest.

It is also believed Khalid's and other accused person's speeches delivered on various platforms led the gathering and blocking of the road at Jaffrabad Metro Station. Later, the violence began from Jaffrabad and further spread in northeast Delhi. The violence led to the death of 53 persons and over 250 persons got injured.