‘My Son Is Innocent but in Jail’: Father of Shadab Ahmad, Accused in Delhi Riots

Shamshad Ahmad has been making the rounds of the courts and the Jantar Mantar for his son's release.

We met Shamshad Ahmad for the first time at Jantar Mantar itself. He had come to participate in a program held in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

(Photo: Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

It has been alleged that many arrested and slapped with charges under the stringent UAPA over the violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020 are innocent. Although the faces of a few made it to the headlines, many others have just gotten lost in the dark, languishing in jails. In our upcoming documentary, which is releasing on 22 June, we bring you stories of at least four such unknown faces. This is the last of a four-part documentary and is a small snippet of one of the stories featured – that of Shadab Ahmad.

If you like what we do, and would like to support us in telling such stories, become a Q-Insider. Click here. – Shadab Moizee.

More than two years have passed since the Delhi riots. Shamshad Ahmad has sometimes been making rounds of the courts, and sometimes Jantar Mantar, for the release of his son Shadab.

We met Shamshad Ahmad for the first time at Jantar Mantar itself. He had come to participate in a program held in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

As soon as we started talking, Shamshad Ahmad said-

"My son Shadab used to go to the protest against the black law of CAA-NRC as well, but he did not do anything which is against the Constitution. He protested within the ambit of the Constitution, to save democracy in this country."

Shadab was arrested by the Delhi Police on 6 April 2020 under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the conspiracy of the Delhi Riots in the year 2020.

Shadab's father says:

“Shadab used to work in Delhi when the CAA-NRC law came and protests started. Shadab also used to go to the protests and for his job. Then the riot took place. A month later, Shadab was called by the police. Shadab was interrogated and let go. But the fifth time the police called him for questioning, Shadab was booked and now he has been in jail for two years.”

Shamshad, about 70 years old, runs the house by doing menial jobs. Showing Shadab's video on his mobile from the protests, Shamshad Ahmad says, "You can pick up any video of my son and see that he has not made any statement which is inciting anyone. He had spoken only within the ambit of the Constitution. I will only add that I have full faith in the judiciary of this country, my son has not done any wrong thing and the judiciary will do justice.”

Shadab was arrested in connection with the murder of head constable Ratan Lal. However, in May, Shadab was named in another FIR with the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and has been accused as a 'conspirator' of the Delhi violence in which at least 53 people were killed.