Delhi Court Orders To Provide Security To JNU Student Leader Umar Khalid In Prison

A Delhi court has sent former JNU student leader Umar Khalid to judicial custody for 14 days in a case related to the communal violence in north-east Delhi in February.

Metropolitan Magistrate Dev Saro of Patiala House court also directed prison authorities to provide him adequate security and to take proper precautions that no harm is caused to him, while acting on the application filed by him seeking security within prison.

The Magistrate was dealing with the case registered by Khajuri Khas police station (FIR No. 101/2020) in relation to North-East Delhi riots.

In an application filed through his advocates Trideep Pais, Sanya Kumar and Rakshanda Deka, Khalid pleaded that he may be permitted to communicate with his family, friends and relatives in accordance with jail rules.

He also submitted that he has not signed any statements or documents during his police custody.

The application sought permission for two legal interviews a week with his counsel using video conferencing facility for at least 30 minutes on each occasion outside the audible range of prison officials. Khalid requested for headphones to maintain privacy of his conversation between him and his counsel. The application further said that he may be permitted to keep his spectacles while in judicial custody and obtain books and reading material from outside.

The court directed the Jail Superintendent to provide the facilities sought in the application as per the Jail Manual.  

Khalid was arrested on the intervening night of September 13/14 in a case registered under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in the case registered by Crime Branch, Special Cell of Delhi Police (FIR No. 59/2020) alleging criminal conspiracy behind the Delhi riots. The police alleged that Delhi riots were linked to the anti-CAA protests spearheaded by Khalid and that the riots.

A Sessions Court at Karkardooma had remanded him to 10 days police custody in that case on September 14.