India: UAPA arrest former JNU student leader for alleged role in Delhi riots

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid was arrested late on Sunday night under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act(UAPA) for his alleged role in the northeast Delhi riots, sources said.

He was arrested by the special cell of the Delhi police after 11 hours of interrogation. He will be produced before a Delhi court on Monday, they said.

Meanwhile, legal experts have questioned the police’s application of the UAPA on students and activists, as the law reduces the scope for bail, meaning jail terms without trial.

A number of other students and activists behind the nationwide peaceful protests against a controversial citizenship law have been arrested under the UAPA, which was passed last December.

Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those against the legislation spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured. In their attempt to prevent violence, 108 police personnel received injuries and two died.

The Delhi Police on Sunday said it was investigating the role of all individuals who allegedly took part in the riots and were part of a larger conspiracy in organising violence in the northeast Delhi and inciting communal passion and hatred amongst communities, an official statement stated.

As far as the investigation is concerned, Delhi Police has carried it out meticulously in the most professional manner, officials said.

After collecting and collating all evidences, the investigation has been finalised in most of the important cases and the charge sheets have been submitted in the court for trial, the police also said, adding the riots also caused large-scale damage to both private and public properties.

So far, police have arrested 1,575 people in 751 cases. Over 250 chargesheets have been filed in the riots related cases in which 1,153 accused have been charge-sheeted.