Attack on JNU’s Umar Khalid Was Not Staged, Confirms Delhi Police

However, the police say it’s still unclear if Khalid was shot at.

Umar Khalid, a PhD student at JNU and an activist.

(Photo: The Quint)

A senior Delhi Police officer has confirmed to The Quint that JNU student leader Umar Khalid was attacked outside the Constitution Club on Monday, 13 August, by a man who was carrying a gun.

On the basis of Khalid’s statement, the police have registered an FIR under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 27 of Arms Act.

The CCTV footage clearly shows Umar Khalid was attacked by a miscreant, there was a bit of a scuffle between them and then he ran away from the spot. We cannot confirm whether the attacker shot at Khalid. As of now, we don’t know who the attacker was. We have no reason to believe that the attack was staged. 

A senior Delhi Police officer 

The incident happened around 2:30 pm on 13 August, when Khalid went to attend an event, Khauf Se Azaadi, at Constitution Club, barely half a kilometre away from the Parliament.

Here’s How the Events Unfolded

• Khalid was attacked while he was having tea with his three friends at a stall right outside the Constitution Club’s main gate.
• The perpetrator held Khalid from behind and pushed him on the ground. He was carrying a gun in his hand.
• When Khalid and his friend tried to defend themselves, the attacker was immediately overpowered by them. Khalid ran inside the Club to save himself and the attacker ran on the other side of the road.
• Some witnesses have said that they saw a gun in the hands of the attacker but it is not yet confirmed whether he fired a bullet or not.
• The attacker then dropped the gun and ran away. However, it is not yet clear whether he intentionally dropped the gun or it fell out of his hands.
• The police have sent the gun for forensic testing.
• The attacker has not been identified yet.

(As told by a senior police officer to The Quint.)

CCTV footage grab of the perpetrator who attacked Umar Khalid(Photo: ANI)

Witnesses Have Confirmed Khalid Was Attacked: Police

The police have recorded the statements of several witnesses who were present in the vicinity when the incident occurred. Their testimonies corroborate what Umar Khalid has alleged.

The officer said:

We have spoken to several people including Khalid’s friends and those who were present in the surrounding. They are saying that Khalid was attacked but no one could confirm whether the perpetrator shot at him or not. 

A widely-circulated video – by a journalist with Dainik Bhaskar, Santosh Kumar – triggered controversy. Kumar claimed that while there was indeed an incident of firing outside the Constitution Club, Umar Khalid was not present at the spot when the incident took place.

Later, Kumar altered his version of events and claimed that he was not sure whether the person who had been targeted by the assailant was Khalid or not.