In just a few hours from now, the Supreme Court will hear the bail pleas of Delhi riots accused Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and others. Ahead of the hearing, the Delhi Police has filed an affidavit vehemently opposing any relief, calling the 2020 riots a “planned operation for regime change.”
Squarely blaming Umar Khalid and his co-accused, the police allege that the conspiracy was “hatched, nurtured, and executed to strike at the heart of India’s sovereignty and integrity.” The affidavit claims the accused sought to destroy communal harmony and provoke violence “to the extent of armed rebellion.”
In its 389-page affidavit, the police refer to “international theories” describing such protests as regime change operations. While critics have long argued that the law was weaponised to keep the accused behind bars for nearly five years, the Delhi Police now say the trial delay itself was part of a “well-planned conspiracy” by the accused. They conclude that in offences threatening India’s integrity, “jail, not bail,” should be the rule.
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