How Umar Khalid Has Been Projected as Riot 'Mastermind' in Charges

<div>After interrogating former JNU student and United Against Hate member Umar Khalid for eleven hours on 13 September, the Delhi Police arrested him under UAPA charges post-midnight, for his alleged role in the North East Delhi riots of February 2020.<br> <br> </div> <div>This comes merely two weeks after Khalid had written a letter to the Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava, alleging that his acquaintances were being threatened with the same UAPA charges into writing statements implicating him as a provocateur of violence.<br> <br> </div> <div>In several FIRs and charge sheets, Khalid has been projected as a key ‘conspirator’ and 'mastermind' of the riots, with the police claiming that the communal violence was a “premeditated conspiracy” allegedly hatched by Khalid and two others.<br> <br> </div> <div>Even as Delhi police have been severely criticised by civil society members, lawyers, activists, former IPS officers for conducting a biased probe and for leading a "witch hunt" against anti-CAA protesters, Khalid's arrest is one more name in the list of anti-CAA protesters who have been booked under the dreaded terror charges this year over allegations of playing a role in the Delhi riots.<br> <br> </div> <div>So what are the charges that have been levelled by the Delhi police against Khalid so far? What is the police's narrative about Khalid's role? Tune in to The Big Story!<br> <br> <strong>Producer and Host: </strong>Shorbori Purkayastha<br> <strong>Guests: </strong>Aishwarya Iyer, Senior Correspondent, The Quint</div> <div> <strong>Editor:</strong> Shelly Walia</div> <div><br> </div> <div> <strong>Music:</strong> Big Bang Fuzz<br> <br> <strong>Listen to The Big Story podcast on:</strong> </div> <div><br> </div> <div>Apple: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/redirect?q=https%3A%2F%2Fapple.co%2F2AYdLIl&amp;redir_token=G9sQMbbppKv-LEFD29gDyTmPMzt8MTU3MTM4MDU5NkAxNTcxMjk0MTk2&amp;v=xkpX1V6aUFo&amp;event=video_description">https://apple.co/2AYdLIl</a> </div> <div>Saavn: <a