COURT EXTENDS JUDICIAL CUSTODY OF UMAR KHALID, SHARJEEL IMAM TILL NOVEMBER 23

Sat 21 November 2020:

A Delhi court Friday extended the judicial custody of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid and JNU student Sharjeel Imam by three days. Khalid and Imam were arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case related to the communal violence in northeast Delhi in February.

Additional Sessions Judge, Amitabh Rawat, extended their judicial custody till November 23 as sought by the public prosecutor.

During the hearing held through video conferencing, Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad, appearing for the police, said the mandatory time period of 90 days to complete the probe in the case will be completed on November 23 and the charge sheet has to be filed.

Khalid and Imam have been arrested in the case for allegedly being part of a premeditated conspiracy in the riots.

When the judge asked Prasad whether the police was going to file the charge sheet on Monday, he did not give any specific date and said he will let the court know on November 23rd itself. Advocate Trideep Pais, appearing for Khalid, opposed the remand application saying it was hollow like the earlier applications.

The judge then asked Khalid if he was facing the problems now in Tihar prison, as mentioned earlier by him.

Khalid replied, “Besides curbing my liberties and a malicious investigation, I am not facing any other issues.” Khalid had earlier alleged that he has not been allowed to step out of his cell or meet anyone while in judicial custody.

Imam’s counsel, Surabhi Dhar, informed the court that certain documents which he had written while in custody in Assam were taken from him when he was brought to Delhi and have not been returned yet. Imam too said that the documents had been taken from him at the gate of Tihar prison.

The court has put up the matter for further hearing on November 23.

The article originally published in THE WIRE Click here

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