Delhi Court Allows Umar Khalid's Plea For Soft Copy Of Chargesheet In Riots Conspiracy Case

The Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat directed the Ahlmad/court staff to hand over the soft copy of the charge-sheet in the form of Pendrive to the Ld. Counsel for the accused Umar Khalid, who was asked to appear in the court today itself at 5.30 pm.

Umar Khalid's Prayer before the Court

It was submitted by the Counsel appearing on behalf of Umar Khalid that there has been "vicious media campaign against him in various newspapers and Media channels "which are reporting various things about him quoting from the charge-sheet and he does not have the copy of the charge-sheet to either defend himself in the media trial or understand the narrative being built."

Khalid's Counsel ran certain clips of the reporting of the Media Channel and filed some articles/reports of newspaper.

In this backdrop, it was prayed that though the case is fixed for 02.12.2020 for providing the soft copy of the charge-sheet (FIR No. 59/2020), as requested, the copy of the charge-sheet be supplied to him today itself.

On the other hand, the Special Public Prosecutor did not accept any of the allegations made by the Counsel for the accused-Umar Khalid but he states that had no objection if the copy of the charge-sheet is supplied and court may pass an appropriate order.

Court's Order

It may be noted that the case was lastly fixed on 24.11.2020 and thereafter it was posted for 22.12.2020.

The said order dated 24.11.2020 stated that

"let copies of the charge-sheet in compliance of Section 207 Cr.P.C through Pendrive/soft copies be done on 02.12.2020 and counsel for the accused persons may visit the court between 12.00 noon to 2.00 pm for collecting the said copies. IO shall also be present at the said time."

[NOTE: On 24^th November itself, the Court took cognisance of the supplementary charge sheet filed against former JNU student Umar Khalid and JNU student Sharjeel Imam in a case of the northeast Delhi riots.

While the court decided to proceed against them for the offences under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, it did not take cognisance of the offences of sedition, criminal conspiracy and some other charges of the Indian Penal Code as the required sanctions were awaited.]

Without going into the allegations/counter-allegations, the Court, after hearing the arguments, noted that "it would be in the fitness of things to allow the present application in so far as the prayer of providing the soft copy of the charge-sheet in the form of Pendrive is concerned."

Accordingly, the application was allowed.

It may be noted that in October, the Court had directed the Jail Superintendent to ensure that JNU Student Leader Umar Khalid, who was arrested on the intervening night of 13/14 September in connection with alleged conspiracy pertaining to Delhi Riots, was allowed to move out of his cell and treated like other prisoners.

Khalid's request seeking books and warm clothes in wake of the impending winter season was also allowed by the Court.