Delhi riots 2020: Police calls it 'regime change operation', Supreme Court to hear bail pleas on October 31

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Delhi Police has claimed that the 2020 Delhi riots were part of a planned “regime change operation” rather than a spontaneous act of public anger.

This claim has been made in a 177-page affidavit, which the police is going to file in the Supreme Court in response to the bail pleas of student activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam and others, CNN-News18 reported.

Both Khalid and Imam have been jailed for more than five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Police have alleged a deep conspiracy

The affidavit claims that investigators have gathered direct, documentary and technical evidence that suggests the riots were a “deep conspiracy” aimed at undermining India’s sovereignty.

“The scheme was designed to weaponize public dissent against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and attack the sovereignty and integrity of India,” News18 quoted the affidavit as saying.

The police further claimed that the violence was “organized and calibrated” according to nationwide patterns, mirroring the unrest in Assam, Karnataka, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. He described the incidents as “a coordinated effort to destabilize the government through planned violence.”

According to News18, Delhi Police has also accused the accused of “brazen abuse of power” through “frivolous applications” intended to delay the proceedings.

Supreme Court refused to give 2 weeks’ extension

On Monday, October 27, the apex court had refused to give two weeks’ time to Delhi Police to file its reply on the bail pleas of Khalid, Imam, Gulfisha Fatima and Meeran Haider.

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A bench of Justices Arvind Kumar and NV Anjaria said that further delay would not be considered. “Frankly speaking, there is no question of retaliatory action in bail cases,” the bench said, according to news agency PTI.

After this, the court fixed the next hearing of the case on Friday, October 31.

Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi argued that the activists have been in jail for more than five years and urged the court to avoid further delay.

Bail rejected on ‘conspiratorial violence’

Earlier on September 2, Delhi High Court had refused bail to nine accused including Khalid and Imam.

Affirming the right of citizens to peaceful and lawful demonstration under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, the Court had ruled that “conspiratorial” violence cannot be permitted under the guise of public protest.

According to PTI, 53 people lost their lives and over 700 were injured in the February 2020 Delhi riots that broke out during protests against the CAA and NRC.

Police say the accused were the “intellectual architects” of the violence, a charge activists strongly deny. They insist that their actions fall within their constitutional right to dissent.