Umar Khalid Tells Court, ‘Haven’t Signed Any Statement in Custody’

This is the second time UAPA accused Umar Khalid is telling court that he hasn’t signed any ‘disclosure statements.’

In an application submitted by his counsels on 4 October, UAPA accused and former JNU student Umar Khalid has insisted that he has 'not signed any statement or documents whatsoever,' during his interrogation by Delhi Police under a Delhi riots case.

After being arrested under FIR 101, Umar was sent to three-day police custody with the Delhi Police crime branch on 1 October. The police custody ended on 4 October and he has been moved to judicial remand at Tihar jail ever since.

In a written application signed by Umar Khalid and addressed to the duty magistrate of Tihar Jail Complex, Khalid’s counsels wrote, “The accused applicant himself made a submission before this honorable court that he has not signed any statement or documents whatsoever during the three days of police custody. The same may be taken on record.”

The court order that The Quint accessed however does not mention this submission despite the accused followed by his counsels Sanya Kumar and Rakshanda Deka, making the request during the hearing. "Although, the court order does not record the submission but the application has been taken on record and ordered to be annexed to the order of the court," Umar Khalid's senior counsel Trideep Pais said.

This is the second time that Umar Khalid is insisting that he has not signed any disclosure statements while in police custody. The first was at the end of his ten-day police custody with the Delhi Police special cell on 24 September.

He told the court even then that he had 'not signed any document whatsoever during the police custody remand'. While that was under FIR 59, probing the alleged conspiracy, this one is under FIR 101, which investigated the violence around Khajuri Khas area of north east Delhi.

The Quint asked Pais why such a submission was made by the accused and now formally by the counsel as well, he said, "Apprehending that statements not made or signed by Umar Khalid would be attributed to him, as has been done or attempted with other accused in these cases in the past, Umar Khalid personally, and his Counsel by way of a written application, made a categorical statement that in the course of his police custody the last three days, Umar Khaild did not sign any statement whatsoever."

FIR 101 is the second FIR Umar has been arrested under. He was arrested first on 13 September under FIR 59, where, along with other charges of rioting and criminal conspiracy, the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) had also been invoked. On 14 September he was sent to police custody for ten days, which ended 24 September. Then while he was in judicial custody under FIR 59, he was arrested on 1 October under FIR 101 being investigated by the crime branch. His three-day police custody ended on 4 October. He remains in judicial custody under both FIRs now.