NEW DELHI: Delhi government is learnt to have given Delhi Police the sanction to prosecute former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University Umar Khalid and its PhD student Sharjeel Imam in the Delhi riots case under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Apart from the duo, the sanction has also been given against Faizan Khan, who is a co-accused in the case.
Now, the Special Cell is likely to file a supplementary chargesheet in the case soon. The first chargesheet in the case was filed mid-September against 15 accused, including Pinjra Tod members.
The sanction letter reads: “On a careful perusal of the draft supplementary chargesheet in FIR number 59 — registered at Crime Branch and being investigated by the Special Cell — under Sections 16, 17 and 18 of UAPA and on consideration of the allegations and other material placed on record, and after considering the report of the authority appointed under Section 45(2) of UAPA to review the evidence gathered during investigation, the three accused have prima facie committed the offences under UAPA.”
“And whereas it is necessary in the interest of justice that prosecution sanction should be granted against the accused in the court of competent jurisdiction for their trial in respect of the offences they are alleged to have committed,” reads the communication.
According to a senior officer, Delhi Police needed sanction from ministry of home affairs to prosecute a person under Section 13 of UAPA, while sanction from Delhi government was required for prosecution under Sections 16,17 and 18 of UAPA. The ministry had earlier given a sanction in the Delhi riots case.
Delhi government in an official statement said: “This is a purely procedural matter. The elected government has no role to play in this. Delhi government has not stopped prosecution in any case in the last five years, including those pertaining to AAP MLAs and party members.”