How Umar Khalid Has Been Projected as Riot ‘Mastermind’ in Charges

After interrogating former JNU student and United Against Hate member Umar Khalid for eleven hours on 13 September, the Delhi Police arrested him under UAPA charges post-midnight, for his alleged role in the Northeast Delhi riots of February 2020.

(Photo: The Quint)

After interrogating former JNU student and United Against Hate member Umar Khalid for eleven hours on 13 September, the Delhi Police arrested him under UAPA charges post-midnight, for his alleged role in the Northeast Delhi riots of February 2020.

This comes merely two weeks after Khalid had written a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava, alleging that his acquaintances were being threatened with the same UAPA charges into writing statements implicating him as a provocateur of violence.

In several FIRs and charge sheets, Khalid has been projected as a key ‘conspirator’ and 'mastermind' of the riots, with the police claiming that the communal violence was a “premeditated conspiracy” allegedly hatched by Khalid and two others.

Even as Delhi Police have been severely criticised by civil society members, lawyers, activists, and former IPS officers for conducting a “biased” probe and for leading a "witch hunt" against anti-CAA protesters, Khalid's arrest is one more name in the list of anti-CAA protesters who have been booked under the dreaded terror charges this year over allegations of playing a role in the Delhi riots.

So what are the charges that have been levelled by the Delhi Police against Khalid so far? What is the police's narrative about Khalid's role? Tune in to The Big Story!