The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government on Wednesday gave its sanction to the police to charge 18 people accused in the Delhi riots case, including radical Islamists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, former AAP leader Tahir Hussain and others under sedition charges for their involvement in the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case.
According to the reports, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi finally gave its ascent to prosecute the radical Islamists and far-left ‘activists’ who plotted the communal riots in Delhi in the last week of February that took the lives of more than 50 people.
The Delhi government has also provided sanction to prosecute far-left protestors such Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, former Congress leader Ishrat Jahan and 15 others in connection with the Anti-Hindu Delhi riots case.
Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal are one of the founders of the far-left ‘Pinjra Tod’ group that claims to work for gender equality. They were earlier booked by the police under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for allegedly conspiring to incite the riots.
The Delhi Police had charged radical Islamist Umar Khalid – one of the masterminds of the communal riots and other accused for their alleged role in the case on October 22. The Delhi Police had informed the court that the sanction to prosecute the accused persons for sedition and other sections was still under consideration.
The consideration of charges at a court can only start after the state government gives a prosecution sanction. The police had sent a request for the prosecution sanction under sedition in mid- September to the Delhi government.
Last month, the Arvind Kejriwal-led government had given police prosecution sanction to charge the accused persons under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. However, the sanction to prosecute the accused under sedition sections was still awaited.
The Delhi government has now given sanction to charge the riots accused under sedition after vetting the charge-sheet was vetted. The Delhi government has apparently satisfied that “prima facie the accused persons had committed the acts of sedition and criminal conspiracy”. The government has also written to the Delhi police saying that the granting of the prosecution sanction has been approved by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal.
Umar Khalid complains of tooth-ache
Meanwhile, riots-accused Umar Khalid, who is currently in Tihar Jail, has complained about a tooth-ache and alleged before a court that he has not been given any medical treatment by the jail authorities for the same.
Reportedly, Khalid had claimed that he was having toothache for the last three days but did not receive any medical treatment. He claimed that a dentist was supposed to visit the jail today but he has not visited.
Khalid also said that he was suffering from pain and it was difficult for him to wait for another one week for the visit to the dentist.
Following his submissions, Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Dinesh Kumar directed the jail authorities to provide proper medical treatment to Khalid. The court directed the jail authorities to file a compliance report before it within two days.
Khalid and Sharjeel Imam – masterminds of Anti-Hindu Delhi riots
Khalid was arrested by the police on September 14 for his alleged involvement in the horrific Northeast Delhi riots. He was summoned by the police for investigation and was later arrested.
In a charge sheet filed by the Delhi police and admitted by the court, it is alleged that Khalid had hatched the conspiracy of the anti-Hindu Delhi riots along with his friends during the visit of the US President Trump to India. Khalid had allegedly met the former AAP Councillor Tahir Hussain and another accused Khalid Saifi to assure logistical support during the riots through his contacts in the PFI.
Similarly, Sharjeel Imam is accused of being involved in the conspiracy that led to the break-out of riots in the national capital. He was booked under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA.
The charge sheet filed against him had revealed that Imam wanted to transform the anti-CAA protests into a nationwide movement. His WhatsApp chats revealed during the investigation show that he used the misinformation spreading around the CAA to further his agenda and in this, he got the help of local Islamic clerics.