Delhi Riots Case: Sharjeel Imam refutes police claims, denies links with Umar Khalid

Delhi Riots Case: Delhi riots accused Sharjeel Imam told a court on Thursday that the police's allegation that Umar Khalid was his mentor or guru was completely false. Sharjeel Imam also claimed that the two did not interact during their time at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

What did Sharjeel Imam’s lawyer say?

According to a report by Bar and Bench, lawyer Tayyab Mustafa, appearing for Imam before Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sameer Bajpai of Karkardooma Court, said that there was no connection between his client and Khalid. 

"During my five years at JNU, I never spoke to Umar Khalid. I don't know what coordination they (the police) are talking about. To prove a conspiracy, it is necessary to show an agreement between us. But they have failed to show any such agreement," Khalid's lawyer stated.

The lawyer emphasized that the allegations that Khalid had given instructions to Imam were false. 

"There is only one meeting where Umar and I are seen together. But the witness to that meeting reveals that there was no discussion on violence," he said. 

Mustafa said that large-scale protests were taking place against the amended Citizenship Act in 2020, and just because several accused were protesting against this law does not mean there was a conspiracy. He further argued that Sharjeel Imam had never supported violent protests.

"My chats, my pamphlets, and my speeches... they claim that I wanted violence, that I wanted riots and people to be killed. But violence was never discussed in any of my meetings. On the contrary, I spoke about non-violence," Sharjeel Imam said. 

Mustafa was presenting his arguments in the Delhi riots conspiracy case. The court is currently hearing arguments on framing of charges. The lawyers for the other accused may present their arguments next week.

What did the Delhi Police say?

The Delhi Police has alleged that Imam, Khalid, and several others were involved in conspiring to commit violence during the 2020 Delhi riots. The prosecution has invoked provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in this case.